Eternal Scars
by Tails3491
Summary: It's a normal day until a battle between Snivy and Tepig goes quickly downhill and medical attention becomes required. As more begins to happen, the group begins to realize what exactly they got stuck in. More precisely, what Snivy's caught in. - Fic one of three. Set Between episodes 56 and 57. Pairings are hinted.
1. Chapter 1

**Posting this a week after the anime in Unova ends! Oh, well. Good enough.**

**Okay, so this is fic one of three, along with some possible side stories. This will be told from Snivy and Tepig's POV. Like stated in the summary, this takes place between episodes 56 and 57, and, while different pairing's _are_ hinted, they aren't the most important thing in the fanfic. Either way, on with the fic!**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.**

* * *

**Snivy's POV**

A bright light brought Snivy into the grassy field, along with the rest of the Pokemon belonging to Ash Ketchum. The Grass Snake waited for her trainer to speak. Instead, she heard a confused voice of one of the trainer's travelling partners "Hey, Ash, what's with the wait?" A young girl asked, observing the group with her brown eyes. A small Dragon Type Pokemon called Axew poked his head out of his hiding place in his trainer's large purple hair and watched curiously.

"Well, Iris, I just thought it might be a good idea to let everyone join us today, and I was hoping for some battle practice between Snivy and Tepig sometime soon." Snivy perked up at her trainer's words before sharing a quick glance with her soon-to-be opponent. The Fire Pig Pokemon grinned broadly, excitement shining in his eyes. She smirked confidently before she returned her attention to the trainers. By now, Cilan, a Pokemon Connoisseur with green hair, had joined them, and the Pokemon belonging to the other two humans were being sent out. They let out a chorus of greeting before told what was going on.

The group was soon back on their long journey towards Driftveil City. Before long, Snivy noticed a certain Fire Type bound towards her. "(Hey,)" he greeted, slowing to a walk beside her. She nodded in response. "(I… erm, can't wait for our battle - aren't you excited?)" He asked, watching her curiously.

She grinned at Tepig's attempts to start a conversation. The Fire Pig was normally quite a friendly Pokemon, and always ready to learn something about someone - in this case, Snivy. "(I suppose it depends on how long you last before I defeat you,)" she remarked casually.

A short burst of embers escaped the Fire Type's nostrils. He smirked confidently, "(Who's defeating who?)"

She was about to respond when a new voice interrupted her, "(Snivy's going to win, obviously.)" Oshawott stopped beside them and thudded his scalchop with a fist before giving the Fire Pig a cheeky look, "(You don't stand a chance!)"

"(Oh, yeah? Says who?)" Tepig retorted, his tone turning harsh at the Sea Otter's interference.

"(Says me!)" the Water Type said matter of factly. The two rivals then glared at each other.

"(Just because you say so doesn't mean anything!)"

"(You'll see when you're face-first into the ground!)"

"(Actually,)" Snivy groaned when yet another voice joined them, "(I think Tepig will burn that snake into a crisp.)" The Sky Squirrel gave her a smug smirk before she turned to the two male Pokemon, "(Don't you agree, Oshy?)"

"(O-of course!)" The Water Type stuttered, his face turning red. "(Whatever you say!)"

"(You can't just switch sides like that!)" Tepig growled, stomping the ground in frustration at his rival's lack of loyalty.

"(But he's on your side now. Isn't that what matters?)" Emolga made her way to the Fire Pig, smiling innocently. She brushed a side of his face with her tail.

"(W-well,)" a harsh blush graced the Pokemon's cheeks as he ducked away from her and looked away uncomfortably.

"(Emolga, knock it off!)" Snivy snapped, hoping to draw some attention away from the poor Fire Type… and get her rival to back off. "(He doesn't need any of your flirting.)"

"(Whoever said I was flirting?)" The dual type turned to face her, frowning as if she had been offended, though her eyes sparkled naughtily. "(You just can't stand the thought of losing again after that battle with an Emolga like myself!)"

"(Elesa's Emolga was nothing like you!)" The Grass Snake hissed, relieved that Tepig's spotlight was being removed, yet irritated at where the argument was going. "(She was hard-working, strong, and knew _Flying Type_ moves! You're too lazy to even get your own food!)"

"(I'm not lazy! I'm just loved!)" Emolga smiled sweetly, though her cheeks sparked slightly. Snivy prepared to leap out of her shocking range. "(How would you know she's not the lazy one?)" The Electric-Flying Type's tone grew irritated. "(All you did was battle; it's not like you knew her or anything!)"

Snivy tried to ignore the irony in her rival's words - she did know Elesa's Emolga once upon a time… The fact that the Sky Squirrel hadn't appeared to recognize her was actually very surprising, considering... _It doesn't matter anymore. That's all in the past. This is the present. With everyone here. Not them, _she told herself, pushing the thoughts away from her head. She tried focusing on the Emolga in front of her… though it only brought the thoughts back that, for some reason, troubled her. "(It showed in her battling style,)" she said, now staring at the sky behind the dual type, "(and since when are Pokemon with Gym Leaders lazy?)"

"(I'm sure a few exist!)"

"(Perhaps, but I can assure you… 'that few' doesn't include any of Elesa's Pokemon.)"

A sudden shock of electricity coursed through her. She hissed, thrashing her tail behind her as she fought past the pain and regained control of her limbs. She backflipped to break the attack's current. After she landed, she gave the culprit a glare. The Sky Squirrel appeared somewhat surprised, but she quickly covered it and returned the glare. Before either one of them could do anything else, someone interrupted them, "(Girls, calm down!)" They both turned to see Pansage, Cilan's lead Pokemon. He sighed in relief before gesturing towards the rest of their friends several paces away. "(You four better catch up; we're about to leave you behind!)" The Grass Monkey called before returning to the others.

"(To be continued,)" Emolga said venomously before she darted towards her trainer, Oshawott not far behind her.

When the Grass Type had caught up as well, Tepig came up beside her. "(Thanks,)" he uttered, staring at the ground rather embarrassedly.

"(No problem,)" Snivy responded nonchalantly. "(It's not like we don't argue all the time already.)"

He paused, eyes flickering uncertainly before he spoke, "(Yeah… 'bout that… are you okay?)"

She nodded, "(I can take an attack. A Discharge from Em-)"

"(That's not what I meant,)" Tepig said curtly. At a shocked glance from the Grass Snake, he took a deep breath and tried again. "(I-I mean… I thought you would've dodged the attack; it was pretty easy to see it coming. Even Oshawott could've evaded it. N-not that I'm trying to insult you - you're an amazing battler. You just seemed a little distracted.)"

"(I get it,)" she stifled a sigh. _Observant, Tepig, though I really shouldn't have been distracted in the first place. There wasn't any reason to be. _"(Don't stress yourself out; there's nothing to worry about. She just got lucky.)" She put on a grin, "(Thanks for your concern, though.)"

He searched her over before nodding in acceptance. "(Alright, sorry I brought it up,)" he said, then changed the subject. "(I suppose we'll have to see how the battle turns out afterward, huh?)"

She nodded, "(It's after lunch, right?)"

"(Yeah,)" Tepig responded, glancing upward, "(probably. You know Ash can't think on an empty stomach.)"

"(He doesn't let it go,)" she agreed, following his gaze. The sun proved that soon, their trainer's stomach would begin to growl.

… And growl it did. "Guys, when are we gonna eat?" Laughter erupted from the Fire Pig beside Snivy, and she couldn't help a small chuckle herself at the boy's timing. Ash turned towards them, "Hey, what's so funny?" The laughing only grew from both Pokemon. "Hey, c'mon! Tell me!"

* * *

Snivy stood a few yards from her opponent. Everyone had eaten and now it was finally time for the two to battle. Tepig released a small determined flame before bringing himself into battle position. Flicking her tail, she tensed as well. She was careful to keep her most of her eagerness hidden, though a small grin of excitement had made it to her lips.

"Alright," her trainer finally announced, his brown eyes glittering with anticipation, "Snivy, Leaf Storm! Tepig, Flamethrower!" She immediately obeyed and sent a storm of raging leaves at her opponent. They were met by a scorching flame and many fell to the ground, burnt and useless. They did prevent the fire from reaching its target, however. Snivy met Tepig's gaze and smirked.

"(Not bad.)"

The Fire Pig's eyes shined at her comment before he confidently replied, "(You're good, too, but I won't let you beat me!)"

"Tepig's a Fire Type," Snivy heard Iris say, "giving it an advantage over a Grass Type like Snivy."

"Tepig may have a Type Advantage, but Snivy has more experience in battle," Cilan pointed out. "I'd say these two are equal."

The Grass Type tuned the connoisseur out as he launched into an evaluation. It was sort of a game of theirs - Iris noting things like Type differences and Cilan "evaluating" the battle - stating the obvious."Tepig, Flame Charge!" Ash called. The Fire Type began building heat and power before dashing towards her, surrounded in his element. Snivy leaped into the air to dodge, but he jumped after her, ramming her squarely in the stomach. The heated impact knocked the breath out of her as she thudded to the ground, She got up quickly, ignoring the burning pain in her stomach and, at her trainer's command, threw two vines at her opponent. Tepig sidestepped the first, but the second whipped him. While he was still stumbling from the attack, Snivy darted toward him, her tail building up power. She jumped up and used the momentum to deal greater damage as her tail crashed into the Fire Type. He was face-planted into the ground by her attack, Leaf Blade. She jumped back as her opponent stood up and shook the debris from himself. He used Flame Charge again, coming at her with greater speed than before. Snivy prepared to evade the attack again, but a sharp pain exploded from her chest. She gasped and awkwardly grasped herself in an attempt to dull it, but it erupted again, slowly ripping further through her body. Her ears rang as the pain intensified, tearing through her, repeatedly. Spasm after spasm…

"(... Snivy... alright?)" She managed to hear a voice, despite the ringing. She half-opened her once-closed eyes to spot a worried Tepig in front of her, and some other shapes coming closer. "(Snivy! … Speak to me!)"

"(I-)" she cut herself off when her throat protested painfully. The last thing she heard was a loud tearing sound.

The same one as before.

* * *

**Tepig's POV**

Tepig dashed forward, revelling in the heat of his flames as he anticipated the Grass Snake's next move. She had tensed, obviously preparing to dodge again. _C'mon, Snivy! Try something new! _He thought as he continued to onward. A few yards before contact, her eyes widened briefly before she wrapped her short arms around her, an expression of pain evident on her face. Alarmed, the Fire Pig dug his hooves into the ground, the flames around him almost immediately ceasing. A yelp of surprise escaped him when he toppled over, having stopped too suddenly at such a speed. He somersaulted forward several times before he crashed upside down into something hard. _Ugh… my back… _He hissed, rolling off of his head and onto his side. Tepig winced as he fought the aching in his spine to stand up, stumbling slightly. He managed to steady himself. He opened his eyes and, upon seeing Snivy a short distance distance away, perked up and instantly darted forward, the pain evaporating.

"(Snivy!)" He gasped once he had reached her. She hadn't appeared to have heard him, too busy trying to dull whatever pain she was in. He couldn't see any origin for the agony, but it was definitely there.

"Snivy, Tepig, what's going on?" He heard Ash's voice somewhere behind him. He ignored him and continued trying to get the Grass Snake's attention.

"(Snivy!)" His voice betrayed his panic. "(Snivy, are you alright?)" _Of course not! _ He mentally slapped himself for the idiotic question. He did succeed in getting her previously-closed eyes to open slightly, however, so he continued, "(Snivy, come on! Speak to me!)"

"(I-)" the Grass Snake gasped again, holding herself tighter as she began to stumble.

"(Snivy!)" Tepig repeated. He let out a snort of alarm when she began to glow a light shade of green. He dimly acknowledged a few gasps behind him. As the light began to fade, Snivy began to tilt forward, and he instantly darted underneath her, catching the Pokemon on his back. He stiffened. His spine hurt again, but that wasn't the reason he had stilled. A strong, metallic scent had hit his nose, and he soon noticed a thick liquid crawling down his side… He swallowed a lump in his throat nervously.

He jumped when the weight on him lifted. He turned to see Ash kneeled down, staring at the Grass Type in his arms for a brief moment before he stood up and faced Cilan. "Cilan, quick, hold onto Snivy for a sec!" A rare, responsible, serious tone took over the ten-year-old's voice as he quickly, but gently, handed her to the connoisseur. He then took off his jacket and lay it over the unconscious Grass Snake. "Where's the nearest Center?" He asked, taking back his Pokemon.

"Driftveil City's, but you know as well as I do that that will take too long to travel," Cilan responded, worry evident in his voice.

"What about the Day Care?" Iris quickly suggested. The group had recently come across a Pokemon Day Care while travelling and ended up assist the man who ran it.

"That should work," Ash nodded, grabbing two Pokeballs. Each trainer began to return their Pokemon. When the red light came to Tepig, he avoided it, giving his trainer a determined stare.

_I'm staying out here, Ash, _the Fire Pig thought. He felt a strong need to keep an eye on Snivy. He had to make sure she was okay. _I'm not just going to battle her and flee into a Pokeball when she gets hurt!_

Ash just nodded and turned back to the others, "Let's go."

The began to run, and Tepig darted after them. He spotted Pikachu jump beside him. Pikachu was Ash's lead Pokemon, and, since he disliked Pokeballs, he was always remained with the trainers. The Electric Type, now running alongside him, looked at him. His eyes flickered hesitantly, "(Uh, Tepig… Don't think I'm trying to blame you for anything, but do you know what happened?)"

"(I don't know anymore than you do…)" Tepig glanced at the clump of of clothing in his trainer's arms before turning back the the Mouse Pokemon. "(Sorry.)" Pikachu's eyes grew distant as he tried to solve the mystery.

_What _did _happen? _He wondered, _It came out of nowhere. We were just battling and… There was blood. I don't know where from exactly, but… there was a lot of it - I can still feel it on my back… _He stopped himself from shuddering, instead pushing his legs faster. _It must be serious. She was glowing, too, but it didn't look like she was trying to evolve… It doesn't make any sense… What happened?_

A loud engine jerked the Fire Type from his thoughts. He turned to see four motorcycles zooming towards them. "Hey!" Cilan shouted, waving his hands into the air. "We need help!" The bikes came to a halt beside them. Riding them were two Officer Jenny relatives and two men.

"What do you need?" One Officer Jenny asked, getting off of her ride.

"We have to get to the Day Care," Ash showed her the Grass Snake. The cop narrowed her eyes and pointed to one of the men; he had brown hair and eyes.

"Take it to Mr. Hennings. He'll treat it briefly. I'm afraid we cannot go to the Daycare; it was evacuated yesterday, and we can't go to Driftveil City. We'll have to get you to Nimbasa City."

"What's going on?" Cilan asked as the raven-haired boy ran to "Mr. Hennings".

"Something's happening in Driftveil City right now. We believe it's an organization of some sort. Some of my relatives are working with the Gym Leader to keep things under control. We're evacuating anyplace we can," Tepig heard Officer Jenny say before running to join his trainer. Ash was watching the man work on his Pokemon. He didn't react when the Fire Pig came near him. Just… blankly watched.

The Fire Type whimpered and nuzzled his trainer's leg in hopes of comforting the troubled boy. He let out a snort of surprise when a pair of hands lifted him away from the jeans and into a hug. "Don't worry, Tepig," his trainer whispered, his voice soft… and scared. The Pokemon's heart sank as he looked up at the boy, whose eyes were still on Snivy. He glanced at Tepig. "It'll be okay," he said, somewhat stronger. The Pokemon stared into his brown eyes briefly before his trainer's gaze returned to the Grass Snake, "You'll see." Though the words were directed toward him, Tepig felt that the boy was trying to reassure himself as well. He snorted softly in response and brought himself deeper into his trainer's warm, comforting, yet sad embrace. Some part of him dimly wondered why Pikachu wasn't perched on Ash's shoulder as he leaned against the black shirt.

_I hope you're right, Ash. I really do._

* * *

"Explain what happened. Now," Mr. Henning shouted over the roar of the wind, anger very evident in his voice. Tepig looked up at his trainer, who held Snivy in his arms. They had been riding in a sidecar attached to Mr. Henning's motorcycle for a time now. Cilan and Pikachu rode with one Officer Jenny while Iris and Axew rode with the other man. The second female officer had gone to search for other travellers.

"It was an accident while we were training," Ash yelled back, his voice firm and strong once again.

"What kind of training does that?!" The brown-haired man retorted.

"Mr. Henning, relax!" Officer Jenny called with authority. "They aren't at fault. Cilan is a Gym Leader, and he claims it was… odd, though they are not responsible."

"Yes, ma'am," he didn't say anything else.

"However…" the woman began to address Ash, her responsible tone betrayed wary curiosity, "it would be nice to know exactly what happened."

"We don't really know ourselves," he responded, looking up from his Pokemon. "My Tepig about to use Flame Charge, but it stopped in front of Snivy and started to panic. That's when we figured out something was wrong."

"That's it?"

"Well," Iris started hesitantly, "Snivy was… glowing."

Officer Jenny gave her a confused glance before looking back at the path ahead of her, "Does your Tepig know anything?"

The named Pokemon shook his head. "No," Ash answered for him.

"Odd… it sounds like it could be the work of a Psychic Type Pokemon, but why it would wound a trainer's Pokemon like that wouldn't make any sense…." she began to mutter things under her breath.

Tepig brought his gaze back towards the Grass Snake. He remained staring at the new white cloth that replaced the jacket, watching it rise and fall as she breathed. Tepig had gotten a glance at the injury while Mr. Henning was tending to her. She wore a large scar from beside her left eye, and it continued all the way down to somewhere near her right leg. That proved she definitely wasn't in the safe zone, but as for how much danger she was in, he wasn't sure. His mind wandered back to the incident. The pain she was in. The light… _what _was _that?_ Tepig wondered. _That bright, green light… Did that create the scar? Officer Jenny said it could've been a Psychic Type, but why would it attack Snivy? Unless she had met someone and rubbed them in the wrong direction - I wouldn't be surprised- but, even then, doing this is a bit extreme. It just doesn't make sense._

"Alright," Officer Jenny's voice interrupted his thoughts, "we're here." Spotting the familiar rooftop of the Pokemon Center, Tepig leaped out of the sidecar before Ash followed him. The group ran inside, Fire Pig and trainer in the lead.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash all but shouted. The named human appeared from a door leading who-knows-were as the boy continued, "It's an emergency - my Snivy!" They halted in front of the nurse, Ash holding out his injured Pokemon. Nurse Joy's normally cheerful and friendly face turned dead serious as she accepted the Grass Snake, calling out for Audino. Tepig watched as she disappeared into yet another set of doors to her left. The Emergency room.

_Please be okay, Snivy._

**Okay, yes, a slight cliffhanger - please don't kill me!**

**Anyway, I want to thank tailsthecutefox for both betaing what she can and giving me the needed push to start publishing this. Thank you so much! Please go check out her stories; she's amazing!**

**I expect the next chapter to be posted this upcoming Monday. Keep in mind the first three chapters will come out faster due to the fact that they're already written, and all I have to do is edit them. **

**I'm also posting this on DeviantArt as GrassKitsune, though there isn't really a difference between the two.**


	2. Chapter 2

**To the reviewers (who I thank a hundred times over):**

**Smugleaf101: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Here's your next chapter!**

**trystrike: Thanks! And yes, there will be hints and possibly some moments, but, honestly, this story isn't based on romance (doesn't change the fact that SnivyXTepig is awesome, though!). I love your fic so far, by the way - if you hadn't noticed - and no problem with the review. It was totally worth it; I'm glad it helped! I can't wait for the next chapter! **

**I forgot to mention in the last post that this fanfiction - along with the other two - will reveal parts of what Snivy's past could've been. **

**Oh, and the beginning of this isn't supposed to make much sense. Snivy could be anywhere at just about any time in this chapter. **

**Well, enough with the blabbing; on with the fic!**

**(Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me!)**

* * *

**Snivy's POV**

There was a distant humming sound. It didn't make any sense, but that's what it was. A humming sound.

It had been going on for a time, getting louder, quieter, changing tone, and, occasionally, other hums joined it. They didn't appear to have any origins - it was too dark for her to tell - it was just an annoying noise in the black. Snivy didn't bother to try and figure it out; it hurt too much. _Wait… what hurt? My head… right? _The throbbing ache returned, causing her to push her thoughts away. She knew three things: it was dark - not menacing, but a calm, almost comforting, darkness - the humming sounds wouldn't stop, and she was losing any feeling in her body… if it was even there. It remained that way for a while. Pain, but no feeling. Curious, but no questions. Active in sound, but not sight.

Then it all came crashing down.

Pain erupted in her body as new _crashing_ noises - like glass breaking - erupted around her. Her eyes flew open and she saw, not black, but different, familiar, yet unfamiliar colors about her. _Why is it hurting? I'm not thinking. Wait - I am! Is that why it hurts? Why can't I stop? _Her thoughts kept rushing, as did the agony flaring through her long body that she could _feel_. _Where's the dark? The humming sounds?_ She winced as something applied pressure to her… _my chest. That's it. _She saw a shift in the blur of colors - green, purple, pink, gray - hissing - not humming - noises now ringing in her ears. She pushed at the smooth, firm restraint on her with her relocated arms and legs, but it didn't release. In fact, it dug further into her chest. She heard a violent snarl, and the presence of a threat suddenly dawned on her. Whatever was there was _not _the calm of the darkness. It was the complete opposite - _the light? _- while it was causing her to feel, think, and see, it was also harsh and menacing. She didn't know it's exact intentions, but something in her screamed against it, warning her. Whatever it wanted, it wasn't good.

The Grass Snake attempted a threatening hiss, but it only resulted in a pathetic distressed whimper and a burning throat. She tried to fight it again, but that only resulted in more pain. _Is there anything _but _pain?! _She thought sourly as the sounds around her began to slur. Just then, she felt something trickle down her neck. Then she noticed it on her stomach… her sides. The metallic scent hit her nose, making her already dizzy mind spin.

Blood.

Again.

* * *

**Tepig's POV**

"(Will Sissy be okay, Iris?)" Tepig heard Axew ask his trainer for what must've been the millionth time. "(Nurse Joy will take care of her, right?)"

"Shh, Axew," Iris murmured, trying to comfort her Pokemon, though her own voice was laced with worry. "Nurse Joy and Audino are doing what they can to help."

"(But will Sissy Snivy be okay?)"

Several hours had passed, and they hadn't received any news. Other trainers in the Center had long ago gone to their dorms, some giving the group sorrowful looks as they left. The only ones who had spoken were Iris and Axew since the Dragon Type was childishly searching for an answer no one could give with certainty. When no one responded, the Tusk Pokemon always tried again, though he never got an answer.

… Until Nurse Joy reappeared. Tepig perked up from his position beside Pikachu, as did the rest of the group, waiting expectantly for the nurse's report.

"Snivy will be fine," there was a noticeable positive change in the atmosphere, "but-" the weight returned - "I have a question." She turned to Ash, "You said you were her trainer." He nodded. "For how long?"

"About two months," the trainer paused before hesitantly asking, "why?"

Nurse Joy glanced at the door to Snivy's temporary room, "Well, I just have some suspicions…" She returned her attention to the others, who were watching her expectantly. The pit of worry in Tepig's stomach grew larger when he saw the nurse's mixed expression - majorly containing negative emotions, "I was hoping you'd be able to confirm whether I'm correct or not, but you haven't been her trainer long enough to know." She composed herself, shaking away most signs of her distress before she spoke again, "To put it quickly, two years ago, a female Snivy was brought in. She was caught up in a serious accident - what, exactly, I can only guess. She was found in a condition like this. Same injury."

"You're saying you think they're the same one," Iris concluded, though she didn't seem completely focused. Her voice was somewhat distant.

_Probably trying to imagine what could have happened, _the Fire Pig thought, tail drooping. With the little information Nurse Joy was giving them, so much was possible. _Like-_

"We'll have to double check, though I think it's quite likely. I may get Elesa to be sure," the nurse's words abruptly changed his trail of thought.

_Elesa? Isn't she the Gym Leader here?What does she have to do with any of this?_

"Why Elesa?" Cilan asked, mirroring the Fire Type's confusion in his voice.

"More accurately, her Emolga," Nurse Joy said. She "Elesa was the one who brought

Snivy in, but she was… traumatized and rather reluctant to accept anything from us - fighting us sometimes. Emolga was the only one who managed to calm her and get what needed to be done, done. If this is the same Snivy, then she'll recognize her."

_An Emolga calming Snivy down? _Tepig would've laughed at the irony, had it been any other situation. He just couldn't picture it. The Grass Snake aggravated Iris's Emolga - and vice versa - so much that the thought of any of their kind getting along at all seemed impossible. Much less one _calming _the other.

"When Ash challenged Elsa, though, he used Snivy against her Emolga. Wouldn't they have recognized each other then?" Iris pointed out, bringing the Fire Pig's wandering mind back to the conversation.

"I'm not sure," Nurse Joy sighed, "but, then again, it might've been because of the battle that the connection wasn't made... Though, nothing says they didn't know. Emolga could've been testing her while Snivy was trying, unsuccessfully, to avoid being recognized. Of course, there are other explanations, but…" She paused before softly shaking her head. "Why don't you and your Pokemon have something to eat? You must be hungry," her tone was cheerful again as she changed the topic, trying to lighten the mood.

"That sounds good," Cilan nodded, also trying to sound positive.

"Alright, this way!"

Tepig padded after the humans. _So, _he thought, _if she's the one from before, that would mean that she has an old scar. How did she get it? Why would it reopen? And why didn't we notice sooner? Sure, she tends to keep her distance, but she's been in some pretty rough battles. Why would it reopen during a training session? And it still doesn't explain that light… _Tepig hissed, frustration filling him. _None of this makes any sense! I guess I'll just have to wait to figure it out. I mean, we still don't even know if they're the same Snivy… though it's still pretty likely. After all, how many female Snivy get life-threatening scars like that? _

An impish voice in the back of his head answered, _just our good ol', cryptic girl. Who knows-_

_Oh, shut it. _He didn't know where the obnoxious thought came from, but he wasn't in the mood to chat.

"You're welcome to anything you like," Tepig noticed they were already in a dining room of sorts. The humans had stopped near a table while Axew and Pikachu took their places beside the Fire Pig. Nurse Joy continued, "I'll get some food for your Pokemon. How many bowls will you need?"

"Tw- uh, eleven," Cilan replied, quickly covering himself.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

The trainers released their Pokemon. Each looked up at them expectantly. Iris's eyes flickered to the other two humans before she took a deep breath, "Snivy's going to be fine." There were many sighs of relief. "We're back in Nimbasa City, though I don't know how long we'll be staying," she paused before she decided she had said enough and took a seat at the table she was next to, Ash and Cilan joining her.

Pansage walked up to the trio of Pokemon out before them, "(Do you know what happened?)" He asked as the others followed him.

"(Not exactly, but, uh…)" Pikachu paused, and his eyes flashed to Tepig uncertainly for support - though not getting any, "(she has a pretty big… scar.)" He pointed to his left eye and trailed it diagonally to his right leg.

"(A-a scar?)" The Grass Monkey's eyes widened at the illustration. The Pokemon behind him shuffled uneasily. "(I… suppose that explains the… uh… How did it-?)"

"(On that, we're as clueless as you are,)" the Electric Type sighed. Hesitantly, he added, "(Nurse Joy thinks it's an old wound though.)"

"(An old…)" Cilan's lead Pokemon shook his head. "(Snivy's just full of surprises, isn't she?)" There wasn't any humor in that statement. Pikachu just sighed.

Suddenly, a loud ring filled the air. Tepig's head shot up. "(The alarm?!)" He heard Oshawott shout over the noise. "(This day just can't-)"

Axew's eyes widened as he - being only a short distance from him - clamped a paw over the Sea Otter's mouth. "(Don't say stuff like that! In the movies Iris and I have watched, every time someone says that, something worse happens!)" The young Pokemon yelped in childish belief. Oshawott just gave him an incredulous look. Before they could do anything else, a bunch of cries filled the room from a hallway. Tepig turned to see a huge group of Pokemon flooding the place.

"What's going on?!" Cilan yelled over the intruders as well as the blaring alarm.

"I'm not too sure, but they don't look very friendly!" Iris responded.

_No kidding! _Tepig blew out a few embers from his nostrils as he prepared to defend himself.

It happened very quickly, starting with long range attacks. A dark, purple ball of energy flew at him. He leaped to the side and, upon spotting a colorful beam, quickly used Flamethrower to defend himself. While he was countering the Psyshock, a purple blur rammed into him, pinning him to the ground. Tepig quickly blew some embers into his opponent's eyes, distracting it long enough for him to bite onto the spotted, purple leg. An earsplitting screech was heard before the weight was lifted off of him. He quickly rose onto all fours again, spotting two Liepard targeting him, one trying to get embers out of its eyes.

When he began to unleash a Flame Charge, he felt a Psychic restraint - from a Gothorita, he noticed - lift him into the air. He was instantly launched into a nearby table which, toppled over with a "_crack", _and he violently rolled into a hard wooden booth. Before he could get back up, one of the previous Liepard pinned him to the same smooth surface. As he fought to relocate his fire while kicking vainly at his opponent's legs, he spotted a number of the invading Pokemon flood into the halls. His blood ran cold.

_Snivy._

Anger coursed through him as he bit his opponent's paw with newfound strength. The cat-like Pokemon hissed, but it refused to recoil. However, when the Fire Pig found and released his flame, it quickly withdrew its leg. He tightly held on with his teeth, using the Dark Type's actions against it when it brought him close to its chest. He shot his hind legs out, digging them into the Pokemon's chest. The Liepard screeched. Tepig released his grip before darting towards the hall he believed led to Snivy's current room.

"(Wait!)" He turned to see Pikachu running towards him. "(I know what you're thinking,)" he slowed to a stop beside the Fire Type, his brown eyes hard as he watched him.

"(You aren't going to stop me,)" Tepig said curtly - he was surprised by the sharpness in his own voice, though he didn't show it - while he impatiently eyed the exit. Pikachu shook his head.

"(That's not my intention. I want you to take Dwebble with you,)" the Fire Type opened his mouth to object, but he wasn't given the opportunity to speak. "(Don't ask, just do it.)"

Tepig was once again interrupted when he suddenly hit the ground. Drops of water splashed onto him as he opened his eyes to see Pikachu leaping off of him. As Tepig sat up, the Mouse Pokemon whipped around to face a round blue Water Type, cheeks sparking threateningly. He had just saved him from an Azumarill's attack. "(Now, please!)" The Electric Type hissed before launching a super effective Thunderbolt. Tepig grit his teeth and reluctantly turned to search for the dual type.

Tepig ducked under a Liepard's claws, ignoring the attacker completely as he darted past it. _Oshawott, Pansage, Emolga… _he listed his friends as he passed them, irritation boiling inside him at the time being wasted, _Dwebble, where are you?! Snivy could be in danger right now!_

Just as he was about to whirl around and go off on his own, he spotted the Bug-Rock Type being cornered into a wall by a Durant and yet another Liepard. With an enraged battle cry, the Fire Pig rammed into the seventy-pound Steel Type using Flame Charge. It crashed into the Liepard beside it as well as one of the many wooden booths, breaking through it. While they were still stunned, he whipped around to face Dwebble. The Rock Inn Pokemon turned his gaze away from the two victims to look at him.

"(Dwebble, I need you to come with me,)" he nosed toward the hall leading to his destination. "(Pikachu's orders.)" The addressed Pokemon didn't comment, instead nodding for him to take the lead.

He arrived back at the hallway in considerably less time than it took to find Dwebble. When Tepig turned to make sure the dual type was still behind him, he spotted him observing a wall near them. "(What are you doing?!)" The Fire Type growled impatiently.

"(Snivy's in the emergency room, right? That's where we're headed, isn't it?)" Dwebble ignored his question, instead asking his own. The Fire Pig released a few embers irritably.

"(Yes!)" He snapped curtly, answering both questions. _Hurry up!_

"(Well, then, I've got us a shortcut,)" before Tepig could respond, the dual type shot a white liquid at the wall. It quickly melted an opening into the next hallway. "(Cilan showed me the basic outline of a Pokemon Center,)" he explained. "(It'll take a few melted walls, but it's faster.)"

The Fire Pig nodded, stepping over the heated material. _Pikachu, I owe you one, _he thought as the dual type prepared to victimize another wall.

* * *

It took some time, though not nearly as much as it would have originally - the place was huge! Tepig just realized how lost he undoubtedly would've had gotten, had he gone alone - another thanks for Pikachu's quick thinking. They made it to the door of the emergency room, which also got melted down by Dwebble's amazing ability, and hoped that Snivy wasn't relocated to another room while they were eating.

The Fire Pig leaped through the opening, tensing for battle. He spotted three Liepard - those were really getting on his nerves - one of them carrying a slender, limp, green body. Blood was beginning to puddle on the floor underneath it. Anger coursed through him.

He charged.

… or tried to at least. Something gripped his tail, restraining him. He whipped around, stifling a growl as Dwebble lessoned the grip on his tail. The dual type was glaring at the three Pokemon, fury burning in his eyes, but he remained in place, watching strategically and observantly. "(What are you doing?!)" He hissed venomously. "(They've got Snivy!)"

"(Exactly. Do you want to risk hurting her further?)" The dual type's eyes didn't leave the feline Pokemon. "(Think, Tepig! I know you're angry, but we can't be reckless!)"

The Fire Pig was about to argue, but he quickly realized Dwebble's point. He shuffled uncomfortably, diverting his gaze. He spotted the Liepard again. They hadn't noticed them yet, surprisingly. The scent of blood must've been overwhelming their noses, and they were too busy speaking amongst themselves to notice the two. It was only because of Dwebble that they weren't in a fight right then. Tepig would've just charged right through, likely causing more trouble instead of helping. He whimpered at the thought, "(Sorry.)"

"(I see we're on the same page now,)" the Bug-Rock Type's voice remained calm. Tepig glanced back at him to see him slowly exiting his rock home, careful not to make any noise. "(I think I have a plan,)" he said, a small stone forming in one pincer, "(but it's rather-)" he was cut off when a fourth Pokemon rammed into him. They crashed into a cabinet of medical supplies, making it collapse on top of them.

"(Dwebble!)" Tepig exclaimed as he darted towards the rubble, only to feel a Liepard's claws rip at his right cheek and force him sideways. He was still stumbling from the Slash attack when it made contact twice more, on his right shoulder, and again on his nose. Spotting the Dark Type about to strike a fourth time, he quickly ducked, though he was threatening to tip over from being unbalanced. Luckily, the Liepard was the one who swayed, giving Tepig the chance to unleash a Flamethower on its exposed underside. It screeched and jumped back, spitting furiously at both the burns on its sensitive underbelly and the Fire Pig. He took this chance to steady himself before releasing flames and charging at his opponent. Still adjusting to the stinging agony from his fire attack, it was unable to evade his Flame Charge as he rammed it into a wall. He spotted the black burns and cracks on the surface behind the Liepard when he leaped back, _I should at least try to keep this place together. Snivy-_ he stopped himself and searched for the Grass Snake. He spotted her still in the jaws of a Liepard trying to make a decision - stay and fight or flee. With a few commands from its remaining comrade, it leaped out of an open window, quickly followed by its partner. Tepig jumped to follow them, but his earlier opponent crashed into him, pinning him to the ground with a _thud_. He rolled to dodge the enraged Pokemon's snapping teeth. Eventually, it used a paw to restrict him, his back on the cold ground, and used the other to Slash his head. It repeatedly did this, and he couldn't locate his fire fast enough before the next hit. He couldn't reach it with teeth or legs either; it made sure of that. He kept taking each attack, unable to fight back. When he felt himself about to black out, the weight suddenly lifted. He moaned and rolled onto his stomach, head throbbing painfully. He fought to lift himself up, his legs buckling underneath him repeatedly from the lack of balance. He hissed and tried to still the spinning world around him before standing up again. The Fire Pig was still shaking, but he was up. Turning his head slowly, he spotted an orange blur multiply a few times. He took a step towards it, but it was uneven. He stumbled forward, getting caught by a cold body before hitting the ground.

"(D-Dwebble?)" He asked uncertainly, trying to find his limbs again.

"(Yes,)" he managed to pick out a voice.

"('You 'kay?)" Tepig's word's slurred. "(You're s'cold…)"

"(Can you stand?)" The dual type asked, ignoring his question. The Fire Pig forced himself to his feet. His head throbbed again and his legs wobbled slightly, but he managed to stay upright. "(That's good,)" Dwebble's freezing pincers slowly released him. The dual type then disappeared, a few crashing sounds following. When Tepig's vision cleared, he spotted Dwebble trying to fight the last stubborn Liepard back. The Rock Inn Pokemon was still missing his rock home, his body wet and covered in wounds and shards of ice. His pincers glowed brightly and he slashed at the Dark Type with a super effective X-Scissor. The cat-like Pokemon crashed to the ground due to the impact. It tried to stand, but it collapsed to the ground. It settled for glaring at the two.

Dwebble eyed it as he made his way to the Fire Pig. "(D-Dwebble,)" he took a few steps towards the dual type. "(You're injured,)" the Fire Pig nosed one of his friend's pincers, "(and freezing. We need to-)"

"(There's no time for that,)" he interrupted. "(It looks like you've recovered yourself. Go after Snivy; I'll keep these two busy.)"

"(But-) Tepig jumped when many shards of ice tore at him and Dwebble. Thinking fast, he unleashed an uneven Flamethrower. The once threatening ice melted and splattered to the ground, useless. He spotted a Glaceon glaring at them with critical eyes. He blew a few more flames threateningly. The Ice Type wisely kept its distance.

"(Leave, Tepig!)" Dwebble hissed.

"(Why aren't you coming?)"

The Rock Inn Pokemon laughed bitterly before wincing and slightly recoiling. "('Took too much damage fighting that Glaceon,)" he admitted. "(I rely on my home for defense. Without it…)" he left off and forced himself upward, glaring at the Liepard who had risen once more. "(I'd only slow you down. Just go.)"

"(But-)"

"(Go! Snivy need you more than I do!)"

Tepig hesitated before obediently turned towards the open window. "(Be careful,)" he murmured, guilt piercing him as he left the defenseless Pokemon to fend for himself.

* * *

It wasn't difficult to tell which way they had fled. Occasional droplets of blood were scattered on the ground, and the scent was strong. He travelled using Flame Charge in order to go faster and to block out most of the sickening smell as he followed the crimson liquid's trail. He knew that at this point, his chances of catching up with the speedy Pokemon were slim, but he had to try. For Dwebble. For Snivy.

A green shape emerging from behind a nearby tree caused Tepig to skid to an abrupt halt, narrowly avoiding rolling for the second time that day. He watched, wide-eyed, as the missing Grass Type stopped in front of him, "(Snivy?)"

The Grass Snake rolled her eyes. "(Who else?)" She retorted. Tepig looked over her again. She had managed to stop most of her bleeding with some blue cloth, and, despite the obvious effort, she was standing upright. An amused smirk made its way onto her face, "(Quit staring; I'm not as helpless as you think I am.)"

"(H… how-?)" he didn't remove his gaze. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the situation.

"(Attract,)" she said simply. "(Luckily, they were both boys.)"

Tepig blinked before he shook his head rapidly, hoping to clear it - only succeeding in a new throb and a short loss of balance. He staggered briefly before recovering. He quickly made his way to the Grass Snake's side, "(Need some help?)"

"(No, thank you,)" Snivy walked past him, in the direction he came from. "(I can't risk flexing my body to lean on you. It could reopen the wound.)"

"(And walking won't?)" Tepig pressed, giving her an even stare. He matched her pace as he continued to speak, "(C'mon, Snivy, you're smarter than that.)"

"(My point still stands,)" she pointed out, not allowing any of her fatigue to be heard. She eyed him when he kept looking at her expectantly. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke again, her voice dry, "(If you expect me to _ride _you back, think again.)" When the Fire Pig kept watching her, she continued, "(I'm not the only one injured, you know. You look like you're about to fall flat on your face.)"

His head began to buzz obnoxiously as if to agree with her. Tepig let out a sigh of defeat. "(Fine,)" he gave her a stern look, "(but if you start having trouble-)"

"(Sure, sure, I'll keep in mind that I've a piggy back awaiting me,)" she said sarcastically. Suddenly, she gasped and hugged herself, halting altogether. Tepig watched, ready to help as she evened out her breathing. When he was positive she was going to recover, he took a step closer.

"(You're piggy back awaits,)" he couldn't help a smug tone leaking into his voice.

Snivy gave him a half-hearted glare before recomposing herself. She then pushed past him in order to continue onward, "(Piggy can wait another day.)"

Tepig, despite himself, chuckled and followed after her.

* * *

Tepig felt a wave of relief wash over him as the two walked through the building's doors - windows obviously weren't an option. Snivy had not accepted any assistance the entire way and was currently panting with effort. The Fire Type himself was beginning to feel the effects of the Liepard's attacks once more. His head was beginning to throb, and his balance was beginning to get unsteady again.

Remembering the Pokemon that were once there, he tensed. He couldn't hear or see anything, but it was better to be cautious.

"(So… what's the plan?)" Snivy whispered. Tepig blinked and glanced at her sheepishly. He had been so focused on getting back and making sure the Grass Snake didn't hurt herself that he hadn't thought of what to do when they actually _did _arrive. "(... You didn't think this one out… Did you?)" She said between breaths. He chuckled nervously, and she sighed. Looking forward, she observed the room, "(It doesn't look like those Liepard are... here. I vote we find… the others.)"

"(After you rest, maybe. I'm not-)"

"Tepig! Dwebble!" Tepig jumped at the familiar voice. Iris. She called out again, "Where are you?"

"Iris, Snivy's gone, too!" Quick footsteps were heard as Cilan burst from the emergency room. He spotted them, "Wait, nevermind! Tepig and Snivy are over here!"

_Where's Dwebble? _Tepig thought, alarm rushing through him. _Is he not here? He- _As Cilan rushed towards them, he spotted a rock in his arms. Dwebble's. A shock rippled through the Fire Pig's body.

"You two are okay!" Ash's voice woke him. He turned to see his trainer kneel down beside the two. The boy picked up Snivy, grimacing at the blood that had leaked through the blue cloth covering her wound, "Or mostly, anyway." The Grass Snake grunted at his last comment. He turned his gaze to Tepig, "You don't look too good yourself."

Suddenly, _all_ of his earlier fatigue crashed into the Fire Pig as his trainer spoke. He held his ground, though his head throbbed harder, making him dizzy all over again. He glued his eyes shut and focused on standing.

"I'll get Tepig," Iris said, nearing him. He felt her arms wrap around him and bring him to her body. The shift in motion caused his head to spin. The trainers bounded into the hallways. Up and down, up and down. Tepig stifled a groan at the pain that came from each movement. He tried to focus on settling the throbbing, but it didn't calm. The calls for Nurse Joy or Audino and the sudden movement of running or taking a turn weren't helping any. He hissed and tried to block out the noise, the movement, doing anything that would hopefully help soothe his head, even slightly.

Somehow, his mind came to Dwebble. The missing Pokemon. _The one _I _left behind. Why did I leave him alone? Snivy was doing just fine on her own. She could've gotten back on her own. She didn't need any help from me. It was Dwebble who needed me, and I left him because I was trying to assist the wrong Pokemon. What was I thinking?! Sure, he had an type advantage over both of them, but he was outnumbered. He didn't even have his rock. He was so cold, so weak, yet I left him to face two Pokemon on his own. _He whimpered, and his long ears fell guiltily.

"Don't worry, Tepig. We'll find Nurse Joy soon," he heard Iris say. He looked into her big brown eyes, and she gave a warm smile. Axew grinned beside her.

"(Uh, huh. We'll find her, so you and Sissy can get better,)" he said in his cheerful voice, though Tepig could identify a note of worry in it.

The Fire Pig flicked an ear and looked away, resting his head against the top of her arm, staring at the walls as they rushed by, ignoring the nausea it caused. _No, that's not it, _he thought. _It's my fault Dwebble's now missing. I hope he's safe. He has to be._

He dimly acknowledged the humans locating Nurse Joy and bring him to some room. Iris lay him down on a bed in there before kneeling down. "Tepig," she whispered into his ear, "Nurse Joy's going to look at Snivy, and then she'll come here, okay?"

He just blinked and stared at the visible wall in front of him. Stared straight through the bright green and orange colors on it. Snivy. _It didn't occur to me before… It also went downhill for her as well when I was with her - it's like misfortune's attacking anyone near me today. Is there something wrong with me? Maybe… maybe that's why Shamus left me. It happened right after I lost to that Deerling. Did something happen then, too? _He lowered his gaze to the white sheets underneath him. He didn't get a chance to dive deeper into his thoughts because someone prodded him.

"(Tepig? Tepig?)" He turned to see Pansage. The Grass Monkey eyed him warily, "(Are you feeling alright?)" Tepig hummed in response, and, though it was meant a yes, it didn't sound very positive. Pansage curled and uncurled his tail. He seemed troubled, but quickly hid it, instead showing his concern, "(Are you sure?)" The Fire Pig flicked an ear, no longer trusting his voice. The Grass Type's eyes were on him, but Tepig didn't feel as if he was looking at injuries at all.

Pansage stared at him for several moments before continuing, "(You don't mind if I ask if you know where Dwebble is, then? Pikachu said he was with you.)"

Tepig looked away, guilt flooding through him again. "(... He was,)" he croaked, "(but I left him to try and help Snivy… I don't know where he is now.)"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Pansage turn to face his trainer, shaking his head. Cilan looked down at the rock in his arms, bringing it closer to his chest. Iris touched his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, but sadness was written on her face as well. Guilt flared through the Fire Pig again. Pansage turned back to him. "(Tepig-)"

"(I'm sorry,)" he interrupted, ignoring his buzzing head. "(I shouldn't have left him to deal with those Pokemon. I should've helped him against the Glaceon, at least. He-)" Tepig yelped in shock when a loud _smack _was heard beside him. He jerked himself up, staggering slightly, to stare wide-eyed at the Grass Monkey who had just slapped a spot near Tepig. He found him glaring at him angrily, Cilan and Iris dumbstruck behind him. The fire raging in the Grass Type's eyes caused him to look away.

"(Look at me!)" He growled. When he didn't, Pansage grabbed the sides of his head - it protested painfully again - and forced him to look at him. The Fire Type winced at the rage rolling off of him. "(Tepig! Listen to me!)" He shouted.

"Pansage, stop!" Iris pleaded as Axew hid in his trainer's hair, but the Grass Monkey ignored her.

"(Stop blaming yourself! I know that a lot has happened for one day, but this isn't your fault! None of it is! You can't make things glow or make scars appear! Nobody can duplicate and help two Pokemon at once! Not you, not me, not even Mew or Arceus! Do you understand?!)" Tepig stared wide-eyed at the Grass Type, unable to respond, still trying to absorb his words. "(_Well?!_)" He hissed, still glaring at him.

"(Y-yes!)" He managed to say. He was still frozen when Pansage sighed and backed away.

"(Sorry,)" he said, calming his voice. "(I didn't hurt your head too badly, did I?)" Tepig shook his head. "(Good. I tried to make that as brief as possible,)" the Grass Monkey coiled his long tail uncomfortably. "(I've seen some Pokemon who were doing the same thing as you. They blamed themselves for things they couldn't possibly control, and it…)" his eyes grew distant as he looked away. "(... I just wanted to make sure you didn't get too far in because, once you do, it's hard to get out. Trust me,)" his eyes narrowed, "(I know.)"

Tepig continued to stare at him, … _Pansage is right. Though I happened to be with both of them… there really isn't any way I could've prevented either thing from happening. Not that I can think of anyway. I can't get depressed over it. Besides..._ he shook his head rapidly - though the action was cut short as it began to irritate him again. He steadied himself and beamed, "(Thanks, Pansage - I needed that!)" The named Pokemon jumped from his trance to look at him, "(I'm not helping anyone if I'm gloomy, now am I?)" He wagged his tail. _I'll be better off trying to help everyone else - Snivy, Cilan, Ash... and maybe even Dwebble._

Pansage gave a small smile, "(I'm glad you're feeling better. Now we just have to take care of our trainers.)" He glanced at Cilan, whose eyes had returned to the rock.

Tepig nodded, "(Can I help?)"

"(You should rest. Nurse Joy should be coming soon, and perhaps you can see Ash afterward. I can take care of Cilan.)"

"(I can live with that,)" the Fire Pig settled back into the bed, feeling much more lighthearted than before. _I'll see if I can stay with Ash overnight. He'll need some company… well, other than Pikachu, of course. _He chuckled, "(Well, Nurse Joy better hurry up, then.)"

_Ash is hurting right now, and I'll do anything I can to help him. I may not be able to do it overnight there's only so much one Pokemon can do, after all, but I can help. I know it._

* * *

**Snivy's POV**

"Nurse Joy! Nurse Joy!" Ash's voice rang over the Grass Snake's head, making it pound further. He cradled her against his chest - which, oddly, was missing the usual jacket, instead bearing a plain black shirt. She ignored her headache and glanced at Pikachu, who was on the boy's shoulder. The Mouse Pokemon was looking at her with his deep brown eyes filled with… worry. She stifled a sigh.

_Can I come across _one _Pokemon - or human - that _won't _worry about this? At least _try _to act normal. It's utterly embarrassing, _she gave him a hard stare. "(Can you tell Ash this _isn't _an emergency? I'm not dying,)" she made sure her voice was strong, though some of her exasperation leaked into it.

"(W-well,)" he flicked an ear, "(I think he has a good reason to worry. You're pretty injured; I'm surprised you're even conscious.)"

_So am I,_ Snivy thought. The agony erupting from her injury was incredibly strong. Rippling through her every second, and they only seemed to intensify. That, combined with all the lost blood made her weak - she knew that. Despite that, she was still conscious, and she didn't even feel faint.

"(Not you too,)" she rolled her eyes - instantly regretting it. She hissed as a sharp pain washed over her left eye, and she closed both eyelids tightly. It didn't help much; the pounding of Ash's feet along with the movement was irritating it to much. The Grass Snake squinted her right eye open, adjusted to the bright lights and colors again, and glanced at Pikachu once again. The Mouse Pokemon was still watching her carefully.

"(You should try to relax; you aren't looking very good,)" he said. Snivy grunted in annoyance, but didn't say anything. Regardless of her hurt pride, she was glad for the break. Her whole body was flaring now, constantly rushing over her and agitating her left eye. She shut her right eye again and leaned her head against her trainer's chest, near his left shoulder. She could hear his pounding heart as he ran. It was irritating her head, making it pound harder - and much more painfully - than his heart itself, but it was comforting, too. It proved he was there. That he cared. That he was trying to help. _It's so different from before._ She listened to each "_thud_", managing to somewhat divert her attention from the agony.

_Thud, thud, thud._

* * *

**Poor Dwebble! Why?! ... Oh wait, that's my fault. Sorry... ****Who expected Dwebble to get a role in here? Honestly, when I first came up with this ficcy, I wasn't expecting it. :P**

**"Sissy" is Snivy's nickname from the children of the Pokémon. I figured since she was known as the "big sister" of the group, she could have a nickname that related to it!**

**Anyway, expect the next chapter to be out Friday or Saturday. I might do it earlier... it depends.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Smugleaf101: Thanks for the compliment!**

**trystrike: Yeah, Dwebble's in quite the situation, isn't he? Not too good... Oh, just a warning: beware the end of this chapter. That's all.**

**tailsthecutefox: It's great to see you! I'm sorry I continued without you, but I just had to post something since I had it written. It's really more my fault than yours... both times. And, to answer your question, yes, I will. Quite a bit, actually. I'm glad you like it!**

**Oh! And Merry Christmas, everyone! Since I'm not too sure if I'll get another chapter in or not ahead of time, 'might as well tell you now!**

**Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.**

* * *

**Snivy's POV**

Snivy's mind swam for several moments. She felt her breathing - _in… out… in… out…_ She slowly became aware of the soft surface underneath her body, and the particularly plush one underneath her head. The soft breaths beside her were the only sound to occupy the silence. Shifting, she noticed a particularly rough and tight texture on her- the Grass Snake's eyes darted open as she bolted upward only to fall back into the plush substance due to an unexpected sharp spasm that coursed through her. Her gaze immediately fell on her where her stomach was located, but it was too dark to see. Evening out her breathing, she tried to recollect her thoughts as her eyes adjusted to the dim light emerging from a window to her right. _… The Liepard, that's right. After I got past them, I remember walking back with Tepig, then Ash trying to locate Nurse Joy. … I guess I must've fallen asleep then,_ she sighed, still staring at where her injury was supposed to be. She could barely make out the bandages securely placed around it. My scar; it's back. I suppose I should've expected it; it was bound to reopen sooner or later. … How did it reopen? I don't remember doing anything too rash before those Liepard came - during that battle with Tepig. … I suppose I'll have to ask someone in the morning. She took a look at the room, now that she could see through the weak what she could see, there was a solitary orange stripe dragging across the green walls, several cabinets in the room, and Ash had his head in his arms on the bed she was in, Pikachu draped over his shoulder and Tepig beside them - each of them were fast asleep. It's so much like before, but, this time, I have the guys with me. That makes it different… It's better than before. I can actually counton them.

"(So,)" Snivy jumped, startled from a trance she hadn't realized she'd fallen into. She followed the female voice to a door on her left. She watched as the dual type leaped onto the bed she was in, "(You came back.)" The Pokemon's huge ears flickered.

"(Emolga,)" the Grass Snake greeted, voice somewhat hoarse from having just woken up. The Sky Squirrel looked over her several times as another Pokemon - the size and the pink that she could see led Snivy to believe it was an Audino - entered the room.

"(I was hoping to see you again, but not like this,)" Elesa's Emolga eyed what was visible of the Grass Type's scar. "(Not again.)"

"(You can stop being so cheesy; I've had enough sympathy for a lifetime,)" Snivy grunted, meeting the dual type's eyes.

"(Well, what do you suggest I do?)" She hissed impatiently.

"(Slap me,)" The Grass Type responded with an obvious tone. "(Scold me. I know you want to.)"

Emolga glanced at the Hearing Pokemon behind her. The pink Pokemon sighed before nodding. The Sky Squirrel bounded to the opposite side of the bed, careful not to disturb any of the sleeping boys as she made her way to the Grass Snake's right side. Snivy tensed slightly before a decent slap met the unscarred side of her face. She winced at the uncomfortable sting on both sides of her head, bringing a leafy hand to her right cheek briefly before relaxing it once more. She stared up at the dual type again. "(What were you thinking?!)" The Sky Squirrel hissed. She would've shouted, Snivy knew; the only thing stopping her was how many people and Pokemon were asleep at the time. "(Running off like that! You still weren't completely healed! You didn't tell me anything! I was worried about you, you know! You could've died! You-)"

"(I'm here, and I'm okay.)"

"(You're- you're-?!)" She thrashed her tail angrily. "(You're in the Pokemon Center due to a huge reopened scar that caused great blood loss, lots of ripped muscles, and even more injuries up to the point that you shouldn't even be conscious! In fact, more dead than anything! Do you think that's okay?!)"

"(Something's wrong with your analysis; I'm awake,)" Snivy pointed out, ignoring her friend's growing rage.

"(Do you-?! I-! You-! Ugh!)" Emolga stomped her foot, and Tepig stirred behind her. "(Look… I'm glad you got a trainer, a bunch of friends, and that you were strong enough to put up a decent fight against me during that Gym battle - yes, I know that was you - but you need to-)"

"(Sit around in bed for the rest of my life because of how fragile I am? I don't think so,)" the Grass Snake growled with irritation, fully aware of where the other female was headed. "(Like you said, I put up a decent fight in battle. I'm not that weak. I'll stay here for as long as Ash says since he's my trainer, but I can guarantee we won't be staying here for long.)"

The dual type stared coldly at her. "(So that's it, huh?)" She whispered coolly, though fury flared in her eyes. "(You're just going to leave again? You're going to leave me again?)"

Snivy stared back at her for several moments before sighing, "(Yeah. I suppose I am.)" Emolga bristled. The Grass Snake calmly continued, "(I'm not trying to avoid anyone-)"

"(No, you're not,)" the dual type agreed, her tone bitter. "(What you are trying to avoid is telling anyone anything about how you got that stupid scar!)" The Electric-Flying Type pointed at her injury, "(I asked time and time again, and the best response I'd get was 'it was an accident'.)" Rage rolled off of her, "(I know it was! However, an accident alone doesn't cause a Pokemon to act the way you did! You fought everyone - even the ones trying to help you! You were unable to trust anyone, y-you-! It took me two weeks to get you to even talk to me, and even then you never really trusted me, did you?!)" Her voice was rising, and the males behind her were waking, "('It was an accident' doesn't cut it! It hurt you! I want to help, but-)"

"(But it's not affecting me anymore,)" the Grass Snake cut her off. "(I'll admit it; it did back then. I was… traumatized by the experience. However,)" she gave Emolga a hard stare, "(I'm okay now. I have a trainer and some amazing friends.)"

"(So you've recovered?)" The boys had awoken behind her, now watching them. The dual type's eyes burned into her own as they stared each other down, "(Then you can tell us what happened without any trouble, right?)" Snivy flinched. "(I thought so. Look, Snivy,)" Elesa's Emolga bent down to get eye-level with her, "(things may be going smoothly now, but it'll never heal if you don't let it all loose. It'll all just repeat itself - the fact that you're here again just proves that. You didn't trust me enough to tell me, but now you have the option to tell your new friends. You trust them, don't you?)" The Grass Snake drew a deep breath and nodded, knowing what was coming. "(You know what I want you to do. Just tell them; you'll feel much better afterward.)"

"(... You're not going to let me out of this one, are you?)" It was an idiotic question, but it needed to be asked.

"(No. I won't. I'm not going to let this kill your new friendship. I won't let you run away again,)" her voice was dead serious.

"(Is… is everything okay, you two?)" Pikachu's voice interrupted. Snivy, though her eyes were still on the Electric-Flying Type, noticed the Mouse Pokemon as he padded slowly up to Emolga's side, caution written on his face.

"(Yes. Just reuniting. You heard us,)" the Sky Squirrel straightened herself, still staring at Snivy.

"(Alright…)" he was still eying both of them. "(Was it a bad time to interrupt?)"

"(No, not at all. Snivy was just about to tell you a little story anyway, weren't you?)" Emolga watched her expectantly.

The Grass Snake inhaled sharply. Now?! She mouthed to the dual type in dismay. She was just supposed to tell them what happened? Without any time to prepare? Not everyone was even there, and Ash wouldn't understand her. How was she supposed to…?

The Sky Squirrel flicked an ear, "(I'll leave if that makes you more comfortable.)"

"(That's not… I… It's…)" Snivy uncharacteristically stuttered. She took a deep breath and started again, "(... I can't-)"

"(You can and you will!)" Emolga half-shouted, glaring daggers at her.

"(Yet.)" Snivy finished, giving the Sky Squirrel a hard stare as she regained herself. "(Just give me a little time. I need to prepare it.)"

The dual type kept glaring at her. She stared back.

"(We can wait,)" Tepig spoke up, glancing at each of them warily. "(We aren't really-)"

"(If you're trying to avoid this again...)" Emolga started coldly.

"(I'm not.)"

"(I hope not,)" the Sky Squirrel hissed before she leaped off the bed and stomped out of the room.

"(I'll go check on her,)" the Audino Snivy forgot about said, following the Electric-Flying Type.

There was a long silence.

Tepig broke it. Taking a deep breath, he said, "(I know what she wants you to do. I'm not going to make you do anything if it'll make you uncomfortable-)"

"(No, I have to,)" the Grass Snake sighed. There was no way she was backing down now. "(One: She'll bite my head off if I don't. Two: She has a point. It needs to be said. It shouldn't be difficult to share, but…)"

"(We can wait.)"

"(Thank you.)" Why is it so hard to tell? It's just a story… just a past experience.

"(Well,)" the Fire Pig smiled softly, "('you tired? It's still pretty early.)"

"(Not right now,)" Snivy sighed. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. "(I won't stop you if you're tired, though.)"

"(I'm about as close to sleep as you are,)" Tepig responded. he glanced at the other two, who showed no signs of exhaustion. "(I suppose we can talk.)" Snivy shrugged at his suggestion, stiffening at the burn she received from the scar. It didn't go unnoticed by Tepig, who watched her carefully as he continued, "('Can't wait until we start traveling again. Battling, eating, chatting, playing-)"

"(Arguing with Iris's Emolga,)" Snivy added.

"(Yeah,)" the Fire Pig forced a chuckle, "(you and Emolga. Never ending rivalry.)" He hesitated, "(Err, yeah, I guess… I hope you don't mind my asking, but does that happen a lot? With Elesa's Emolga, I mean?)"

Snivy grinned, "(Arguing, you mean? We had our differences daily, but, somehow, we still managed to get along.)" She blinked, "(How did you know that was Elesa's?)"

"(Erm, we talked with her earlier.)"

"(How much did she tell you?)"

"(Just what she knew.)"

"(I guess that saves me some explaining,)" the Grass Snake sighed. She turned her head to stare at the ceiling. "(... Did she tell you that she taught me Attract?)"

"(N-no, she didn't. I thought that- uh…)" he cut himself off, once again watching for her reaction.

"(That a trainer taught me?)" Snivy finished evenly. Tepig nodded, looking away. "(That's understandable, but no.)"

"(You did have one though, right?)" Pikachu finally spoke up. The Grass Snake returned her gaze to the trio beside her. Ash still hadn't spoken, but he was listening intently as if he could understand them.

"(... You could say that,)" Snivy said, staring into the boy's brown eyes, "(but Ash is my trainer now. He's the kind of trainer I wanted.)"

"(Yeah, Ash is a great trainer. No matter how much he ignores type differences.)"

"(Pokemon Abilities, too,)" Tepig added, smirking.

"(He keeps forgetting that Tranquill and I are girls,)" she grinned. "(You know what else is funny? He's right here, and he doesn't know we're talking about him.)"

The other two turned to look at their trainer, grinning. Ash blinked several times. "What? Why are you staring at me? Am I supposed to something?"

Their grins broadened.

The boy sighed. "Y'know, I wish I could understand you. No matter how much I try, I can't figure out what you're saying," he huffed, folding his arms and watching them intently, deep concentration in his bright brown eyes. His gaze darted from one Pokemon to the other. This continued for quite a time. Snivy was biting back laughter as her trainer made himself eye level with Pikachu in his search for an answer. The concentration in his narrowed eyes combined with the "hmm"s and "uh-huh"s in his attempts to be serious looked off on the ten-year-old. He moved his body toward Tepig, doing the same as he did with the Electric Mouse. Pikachu chuckled quietly while his back was turned, and a few airy laughs escaped the Fire Pig. Ash grinned briefly before turning his serious face on Snivy. He leaned over the bed in order to look into her eyes. His brows were once again furrowed in concentration as his big, brown eyes searched her. His cheeks were puffed out as he leaned to the left to observe her from another angle. She tried to swallow back her laughter, but, from the corner of her eye, spotted Pikachu mimicking their trainer, leaning over to stare into Tepig's gray eyes as the Fire Pig barely contained himself. A short snicker escaped her, and she stifled it quickly. This seemed to encourage Ash as he leaned closer, "Hmm…" The eyes… the puffed out cheeks… the messy hair… the failing attempts at appearing serious… Pikachu and Tepig - who had now switched roles - in the background…

She couldn't hold it any longer.

The silence broke, filled with her laughter as she closed her eyes to avoid looking at the scene. She only dimly acknowledged her injury's protesting from the action, too busy trying to fight down her laughing. She heard Tepig and Pikachu join her.

When she had calmed herself to a few snickers, she reopened her eyes. The two Pokemon were grinning at her, and Ash had a triumphant smirk on his face. "That was revenge for talking about me!" He waggled his right index finger and made a clucking sound with his tongue. "You see, I'm not quite as dumb as you think I am, now am I?" Snivy snickered again. "You thought you could outsmart- wait…" Ash paused, blinking as if he remembered something. He glanced at Tepig, then Snivy, Tepig, Snivy again. He crossed his arms, still eying the two, "You two were talking about me before lunch yesterday, weren't you? That's why you were laughing!"

The two Pokemon exchanged glances. "(We were caught, Snivy, what do we do?)" Tepig snorted playfully.

"I knew it!" Ash growled in mock anger. "Now I have to punish you again! Hmm, what should I do…?"

Tepig jumped in front of the Grass Snake defensively, "(Don't worry, Snivy! I'll protect you!)"

"(That sounded pretty… romantic, Tepig,)" Pikachu teased, smiling impishly.

Snivy noticed the Fire Type's face redden slightly as he glared at the Mouse Pokemon, eyes flaring in rage and embarrassment, "(Just whose side are you on?!)" Pikachu was about to respond when Ash lifted him from the bed.

"Don't think you can escape me, buddy! You never told me about this!" It was his turn to grin evilly. "The only way to avoid punishment is to surrender and join me!"

The Mouse Pokemon raised his arms dramatically, "(I surrender! I surrender!)"

"Good. Now it's time for our revenge!" Ash perched his "new ally" on his shoulder. Pikachu's cheeks sparked excitedly.

Tepig's face had almost returned to its original color. "Traitor!" He shouted quietly in mock betrayal.

"(Yup, but you realized it too late. Now Ash and I will put you two in your places!)"

"Attack!" The boy yelled, and Pikachu bounced lightly off of his trainer's shoulder and onto the bed. He began to circle Tepig, who, after a quick backward glance at the Grass Type, responded with a direct, soft tackle. The Electric Mouse tipped himself over, and used his tail to bring both of them to the ground. Snivy watched as they began to chase each other around the room quietly, careful not to tip anything over. A mimicked roar caused her to look to the side where she found Ash creeping slowly towards her, arms raised, hands acting as claws, and a silly scowl - his eyes crossed and tongue sticking out of gritted teeth - on his face. "Tepig has left you! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"('Pikachu, that's right!')" The Electric Mouse called quietly. Tepig chuckled.

"(You just had to say that, didn't you?)"

"(Perfect opportunity. I couldn't miss it. 'Heard that motto way too many times.)" Snivy heard a "thud" as the two collided once more.

"Well, Snivy? What is your choice?" Snivy watched coolly as her trainer drew nearer. She then raised a vine and wrapped it around Ash's cap. She lifted it up and out of her trainer's reach. His eyes uncrossed and widened while he reached for it. "No! Pikachu, my thinking cap has been stolen! Without it, I can't think! We… have been defeated," he fell to his knees and bowed his head. "You win."

There was a short silence before Ash stood up, "Alright, uh, can I have my cap back?" The Grass Snake ginned and shook the requested item in the air, not lowering it. Her trainer grunted, "Aww, come on!" He put on a begging face, "Please!"

"(Go, Snivy!)" The named Pokemon turned to see Tepig. The Fire Pig jumped back onto the bed - Pikachu not far behind - and sat beside her. His eyes glowed with amusement when their trainer began to leap after his precious accessory.

It continued like that for a while until her scar began to irritate her. Reluctantly, she lowered it onto Ash's head - the boy was risking climbing a cabinet in the room - and retracted her vine. He leaped down from the man made object. "Thanks, Snivy," he said, adjusting his hat with a yawn. "I'm gonna take a nap," he collapsed into a nearby chair. "'Night."

Pikachu ran to join him while Tepig glanced at the Grass Snake, "(You don't mind if I-)"

"(Go ahead,)" she said, closing her eyes, "(I don't care.)"

"(Thanks,)" he settled in a far corner of the bed. "(Goodnight.)"

"('Night,)" Snivy mumbled, welcoming sleep as it came even though morning was near.

* * *

The same brightly colored ceiling and walls, same equipment, same bed, same words, same checkups… She was fed up with it, though it was early morning of the third day. The only different thing was an odd, indescribable feeling swimming in her head. It didn't hurt - it wasn't even annoying - it was just there. Though that was quickly getting old as well. What's very irritating, though, is that we have a much more urgent calling than sitting around in bed.

Snivy had been informed more of the invading Pokemon and the missing Dwebble. We should be looking for some leads, but no! Everyone's staying here because I'm bedridden thanks to this stupid scar! She glared at her stitched wound. She followed it from the beside her right leg of her body to where her field of vision could see, on her chest, though it ended near her left eye. Nurse Joy had stitched it up after it was cleaned and disinfected, along with some other procedures Snivy didn't care to name. "Officer Jenny's looking into it. She'll inform us when she figures out where they went." Well, Jenny's not going to let us go after whoever took Dwebble! It'd be "too dangerous"! We have to do this on our own - this scar shouldn't be stopping us. After a few seconds, she sighed and stared back up at the ceiling. I'm sure there are a lot of trainers here also looking for their Pokemon - Dwebble wasn't the only one gone. Other Bug and Grass Types were taken from all around Nimbasa City; I would've been as well if I hadn't woken up. Pansage, Swadloon, and I are the only ones here, from what I know… Then again, I'm stuck in bed.

A creaking door broke the Grass Snake's train of thought. She turned to see Oshawott creeping through the door. "(What are you doing here?)"

The Sea Otter jumped at her words, looking around frantically from side to side until he spotted her watching him. He breathed a sigh of relief, "(Sorry, I thought you were Audino or someone. 'Didn't expect you to be awake.)"

"(Sneaking around?)" Snivy said as he drew nearer.

"(Honestly, yes,)" he grinned. "(I wanted to see you before the others woke up,)" he said, leaping onto a chair next to the bed.

"(Is that a good thing?)" She blinked when the Water Type chuckled. He quickly recomposed himself, though his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"(It is if you want out of this boring room.)"

"(What?)" Snivy stared at him. He smirked at her surprise. She paused before grinning herself, "(That's why you're here so early. You wanted to visit without anyone's knowledge.)"

He nodded. "('Just a short walk. I know you don't like it here - you're not one for being dependent. N-not that you are,)" he hastily added, eying her warily, but, for once, it wasn't because of something related to her scar. He was worried she was going to snap at him, not because he had hit a nerve, but because he had called her "dependent". The thought made her grin broaden. Oshawott relaxed. "(I don't know why they haven't let you wander around yet. Sure, you're injured, but I checked out your condition a little while ago. From the looks of it, you're healing at a shocking rate, incredibly fast. You should be strong enough for a little walk, at least,)" he paused, looking thoughtful. "(Maybe they think something's wrong. I mean, you do seem to be recovering… but recovering that fast doesn't seem right. You lost a lot of blood, and your heart just avoided injury...Maybe…)" he glanced at Snivy before shaking his head rapidly. He then gave her an apologetic grin, "(Sorry, I'm rambling. We should get going. You want to go, right?)"

"(Yeah, I'm not missing this,)" the Grass Snake sat up. "(Since when did you become a doctor?)"

"(Oh, I picked a few things up from Professor Juniper a while back,)" the Sea Otter leaped onto the bed. "(I'm here if you need some help.)"

"(I'm fine,)" she responded quickly as she stood. A shock ran through her body, causing her to waver slightly. She quickly regained her footing and erected herself.

"(Don't push yourself,)" she felt Oshawott grab her right arm. She was about to recede it when he said, "(I want to give you some freedom, but you aren't going anywhere if you insist on risking further injury.)"

"(Alright, I suppose that's reasonable, Doctor,)" she relaxed her arm. "(I can't let you get caught.)"

"('Got that one right. Nurse Joy and Audino'll have my head if they figure out,)" the Sea Otter said, guiding her to the chair. "(I don't think the others would be very pleased either.)"

Snivy jumped onto the surface, hissing as the shock went through her. Oshawott landed beside her. He made sure she was steady before he continued onto the ground. He turned, waiting for her. "(They just won't figure out, then,)" she tensed, preparing to follow him. "(How do you plan to get past the security? If you hadn't noticed already, it's pretty strong.)" Unless, of course, a stampede of Pokemon charges in.

He grabbed her again as she touched the ground. "(I… erm… I got some help with that,)" he responded, steadying her once more. She glanced at him questioningly. "(Emolga.)"

"(Funny, last I checked, she wasn't too pleased with me,)" she sighed. Along with Nurse Joy and Audino, Gym Leaders and their Pokemon were also able to access different things in the Pokemon Center - security included.

"(Well, she isn't, to be honest, but she still cares,)" he said, starting to guide her

towards the door.

"(That's nice to know.)"

"(We'll need to be quiet now,)" he hissed once they had reached the room's exit. "(I was going to get you to that walking park outdoors - you cool with that?)" Snivy nodded in response. "('Kay, let's go.)"

They went down several dimly lit halls quietly until they came across one particular door. It was wide open - courtesy of Emolga - revealing the walking park behind it.

"(Professor Juniper talked about some Pokemon Centers like this, so I asked Emolga and she suggested this,)" Oshawott whispered. He slowly released her arm.

"(Yes, I imagine so. We came here quite a bit two years ago,)" the Grass Snake took a few steps outside. It was still dark out - though the city lights fixed that - and there was a slight chill in the air. Closing her eyes, she took in the scent of the many plants around her. A small smile made its way onto her face. This was her element.

"('Glad you like it,)" Oshawott padded up beside her. She reopened her eyes to look at him. The Water Type was beaming widely.

"(Yes, its a nice place,)" she said, walking on.

They travelled in silence for a short time until Oshawott stopped suddenly, "(Alright. We'll rest here for a while, and then we're going back.)" Snivy halted as well. She opened her mouth to object, but a quick glare from the Sea Otter somehow made her change her mind.

"(Fine,)" she said instead, sitting down. Oshawott took his place beside her.

"(How much is your injury bothering you?)" He asked before giving her another stern look. "(No lying.)"

"(I don't see the point in that. You can see right through me with that medical experience of yours,) Snivy pointed out. He kept staring at her expectantly. "(It hurts quite a bit, but it's not overwhelming.)"

"(Tell me when it's calmed down a little. We'll go back then,)" he said, leaning back and looking up at the sky. She followed his gaze. The sun still wasn't visible, though the moon was slowly nearing the horizon. She couldn't see many stars thanks to the city lights around them, but they were there. "(Y'know, everyone's pretty worried,)" she turned to look at the Sea Otter. He was watching her again with his blue eyes.

"(Yeah, your point?)"

"(Ash isn't quite himself. I mean, sure, no one else really is, but he seems the worst off. He's trying to act like himself, but we can tell he's just hiding his feelings. I don't think he wants you to know. He wants to be a strong trainer for you.)"

Snivy paused before hesitantly replying, "(If he doesn't want me to know, why are you telling me this?)"

"(One: I know you like to be aware of what's going on. Two: It's not good for him. I think that if he figures out you know, that he'll open up a bit,)" he gave her a meaningful look. "(I've been told that you can't keep things bottled up inside. Rhetorically speaking, it's better to keep the bottle empty instead of risking it spilling all at once. It's less to clean up afterward,)" he paused, observing her. "(I know that's not what exactly what everyone means when they say 'bottled up inside', but that's how I've always pictured it.)"

Snivy stared at him. He was referring to Ash, but she knew he was also directing it toward her. She may've not been going through anything emotionally - other than frustration with her situation, though it wasn't something that would hurt her - but her scar still needed explaining. He wanted her to feel comfortable talking about her injury. Her past. The main reason she left… She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. "(Wow, Oshawott…)" she said, her voice even, "(I never expected to hear something like that coming out of your mouth.)"

He shrugged, though disappointment flashed in his eyes, "(I'm just hoping this'll help him out.)"

"(I'm surprised I hadn't noticed before,)" she admitted. It never was difficult for a Pokemon to feel something was wrong - why had it evaded her completely?

"(I think it's the sedatives,)" Oshawott said simply. Snivy blinked.

"(Sedatives?)" _Of course, dull the pain... and the mind._

"(Yup, working like a charm if you hadn't noticed yet.)" He smirked, "(Y'know… When I came in a yesterday, you weren't really yourself. It was pretty amusing.)" Snivy hissed in frustration, fighting back a blush of embarrassment as she looked away. The Sea Otter chuckled, "(Don't worry, I won't tell. In return though, you have to tell me something.)" She glanced at him. He was still observing her inquiringly. She nodded for him to continue; he hesitated before doing so, suddenly not seeming so brave. "(W-well, you talked about… that family briefly. Y'know, the one you lived with. I think their names were… umm… well, you mentioned 'Zero' and 'Anne'. 'Said… uh… w-well…)"

"(Just spit it out,)" Snivy sighed. He's fighting for the answers now.

"(You left them after the accident. Was that the same accident? W-were they responsible?)" His eyes were watching her with a scared curiosity. She stared into the blue orbs for a time before taking a deep breath.

"(Not… not directly. Though it was the same incident that caused this scar when I finally decided to… start a new life,)" the Grass Snake glanced back at the sky.

"(... Oh,)" he said. There was a pause, "(I don't know what happened between you and your trainers, but I want you to know that we're all here for you. No matter what happens.)"

Snivy took in his words for a moment, "(Yeah, I know. You all are great.)"

"(You think I'm great, huh?)" From the corner of her eye, she saw the Sea Otter grin and his eyes flash naughtily.

She paused before giving Oshawott an amused glance, "(What are you trying to do? Flirt?)"

"(Aww, no. I wouldn't do that to ya.)"

"(Ah, I see. Flirting's reserved for the pretty girls,)" she teased.

"(Hey, you're pretty!)" He countered. A shock went through Snivy, and she felt her face redden slightly.

Why am I blushing?! She silently hissed at herself, trying to regain her original color, of course he's going to say something like that! It's Oshawott! He says that to every girl! Sure, no one's really ever… but it- ugh! She gave up trying to reason with herself and focused on abolishing the heat in her face.

Oshawott seemed to realize what he said and quickly added, "(I-I mean… It's not like I think you're pretty, b-but you're not ugly!)" A harsh blush graced his cheeks as he continued to try and cover himself, "(Besides, I don't flirt with girls because they're cute or pretty or beautiful o-or… I'm not flirting with you either! I-I mean, you are in all of those sections, but it doesn't mean that I think we should… I mean… I-I think that you-)"

"(Relax, Oshawott,)" the Grass Snake touched a vine to his shoulder, managing to fight her own blush down. "(Stop now before you embarrass yourself more.)" The Sea Otter inhaled deeply, his face still red. "(I was just teasing; I didn't expect you to lose your cool…)" the blush now was beginning to rival Pikachu's red cheeks. That's not helping… she thought bitterly as the atmosphere around the two grew even more awkward. She paused, "(... Y'know, my scar doesn't hurt anymore. You wanted to head back when it got better?)"

He nodded, looking away as he stood up and held out an arm. Not wanting to offend him, she awkwardly accepted it, and he helped her off the ground. The uncomfortable atmosphere remained as they began to walk back, and it stayed there the entire trip.

* * *

When they did get back, the Sea Otter still had a small blush on his cheeks. There was a long silence as they just avoided each other's gazes. After a time, Snivy was beginning to wonder if he was even still there, though a deep intake of air told her otherwise. "(S-sorry… I didn't mean for that to get weird. You… you don't hate me, do you?)"

Alarmed, she jerked her head to look at him, finding him watching her desperately. He was blushing again, tail lowered. "(Of course not!)" She said. "(Why would I hate you?)"

"(S-sorry,)" he apologized again, though he looked slightly more comfortable. "(I was just a little worried.)"

"(Don't be. It's not like you.)"

"(... 'Kay,)" he shuffled slightly. "(Well, I guess I'll get going now. Thanks for the walk,)" he jumped off the chair he was on.

"(Thank you,)" the Grass Snake called as he ran off hurriedly. There wasn't any response since the Water Type had already disappeared. She sighed and leaned back.

_That was weird._

* * *

**Okay, that's it. I'll try to get another chapter in, but if one doesn't come in by the 26th, don't expect any for a week or two.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Smugleaf101: I'll do my best! Thanks again for the review!**

**trystrike: I know, I know. That was uncalled for. -.- Oh, well. I'm glad you enjoyed that little part. I enjoyed it myself. Forestfireshipping it is!**

**SnivyLover101: I see you're also enjoying that couple as well. Looks like Oshawott needs to watch out. He's angered half of my reviewers! **

**Z-Pikachu: Does a few days late count as immediately? XD Yeah, sorry I took so long, but it's here at last! I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**Be prepared, everyone! Big things await!**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.**

* * *

**Snivy's POV**

"(Well, you seem to be healing properly,)" an Audino muttered, retracting its feeler from her chest. Snivy watched as it debated whether or not to allow her some wandering freedom. She sat upright on the too comfortable bed, waiting for the Hearing Pokemon to, hopefully, allow her the right to move about the Pokemon Center.

One minute… two… two and a half…"(What's the verdict?)" Snivy finally asked when it didn't speak. It gave her one last glance before giving a sigh of defeat.

"(Fine. I'll grant you the right to move about within our property on two conditions. One, don't exert yourself. Two, have an Audino like myself or a friend with you when you do move around,)" the pink Pokemon raised its stretched ears to give itself a more authoritative appearance. "(Is that understood?)" Snivy grinned and nodded. "(I have some other business to attend to, so would you like me to get one of your friends? I can tell you're ready to get out.)"

"('That obvious, huh?)" She said, nodding again.

The Audino chuckled before it gave her a friendly grin, "(Alright. Is there anything else you need?)"

"(No,)" the Grass Snake said, dismissing the pink Pokemon. After it left, she sighed and impatiently waited for it to return.

_Day six and the only time I've escaped this stupid pastel room was for that walk with Oshawott,_ she shifted in the bed, still slightly unnerved from the experience. _It... I haven't seen him for a while now… though no one's seen or heard from Dwebble for longer than that,_ she thought, turning her attention to a different subject. _'Still no sign of him all this time. So much could've happened. We should be looking for him. We would be if it weren't for this stupid injury! I'm holding them back!_ She hissed, _Can't they just _go_ already? The missing Pokemon are of much greater concern than a crippled Snivy in the Pokemon Center. I might be stuck here for a time,_ the Grass Snake sighed at the thought of being unable to be of use, _but at least there would be some more assistance. _That_ should be the first priority._

"(I'm back; sorry for the wait,)" she looked up to see the Audino at the door, smiling sweetly. "(You have such wonderful friends! When I asked, every last one of them volunteered! Unfortunately, we can't have everyone flooding the halls, so I just picked one,)" it turned to face someone hidden from Snivy's view. "(You can come out now. Don't be shy.)"

There was a familiar moan of reluctance as a certain Sky Squirrel dragged herself into the room. Snivy blinked in surprise. Emolga. The dual type shot Audino an annoyed look. "(Don't be like that. You volunteered, remember? Now cheer up,)" the pink Pokemon said, giving her a hard stare. Emolga just flicked an ear and glanced away. "(Well, I'll leave you two alone for now. Tell me if you need anything,)" it said, walking off.

"(Don't think I wanted to do this,)" Emolga said as soon as the Hearing Pokemon was out of earshot. She glared at her, though, to the Grass Snake, it appeared weaker than ones before, "(It just grabbed me and left.)"

"(I'll accept that,)" the Grass Type leaped from the bed, skipping the chair and onto the floor. She ignored the sting of her injury as a result. She couldn't help but notice her rival watch her warily. _Not you too. I already have enough worried blockheads to live with. What am I going to do if you start worrying, too?_ "(Unlucky you had to get stuck with me, huh?)" She said, walking towards the exit. _We're supposed to be rivals! You should be rubbing this in my face!_

Emolga raised her head high in an attempt to appear rebellious, but Snivy saw straight through it - she had already seen her concern. "(You got that right,)" the Sky Squirrel huffed before a mischievous grin spread spread on her face. "(I suppose this means I'm in charge, though, doesn't it?)" The Grass Snake halted beside her, giving her a hard stare.

_At least you're trying to act normal._ "(What gives you that idea?)"

"(Well,)" her rival said smugly, "(I was told that I was to make sure there weren't any problems. 'So I just do what I think will avoid trouble.)"

Snivy stifled a laugh, _avoid trouble, huh? Funny. I didn't think that was your area, Emolga._

"(I could send you back to bed, for example. I'm sure that would prevent a lot of disasters,)" the dual type continued.

"(I doubt that,)" Snivy smirked. "(I could always start a riot in here. It wouldn't be too difficult.)" She walked into the hallway, "(I wouldn't even need to get out of that bed. A Vine Whip to your face would do the trick.)" She looked back to evaluate her rival's reaction.

"(Feeling rebellious, huh?)" The dual type kept her cool, following her. "(I'm still in charge though,)" she pointed out. "(You have to do everything I say.)"

"(And what would you want me to do?)" the Grass Snake asked. An impish expression crawled onto Emolga's face. Snivy sighed, quickly adding, "(Forget I asked. I don't think I want to know what's going through your head right now.)"

The Sky Squirrel just giggled.

"(Since you think you're so almighty and powerful,)" Snivy rolled her eyes, ignoring a small sting from the left side, "(where are we going?)"

"(Well, I came across this mini Pokemon Salon-)"

"(Your one requirement for playing leader is to avoid trouble,)" the Grass Snake snapped, immediately cutting her off. "(You're walking straight into it.)" Being the tomboy she was, a Pokemon Salon - most female Pokemon's heaven - was practically a huge offense to her. As if the smell of the salons wasn't revolting enough, Pokemon were groomed to "perfection", extremely pampered, and, in some cases, dressed up. None of those appealed to the Grass Snake. She prefered battling to getting a massage.

Emolga raised her arms in surrender - something she would have never done around the Grass Type under normal circumstances - and grinned, "(Alright, alright. I just wanted to see your reaction. You can stop glaring now.)" She lowered her arms, "(Where do you want to go? I don't particularly care for too much here.)"

"(So you ask for my opinion.)"

"(Geeze, Snivy! The one time I try to be the peacekeeper-)" she cut herself off. "(... Nevermind. We'll just go to the cafeteria. I already ate, but since you aren't agreeing with me, it'll have to do.)"

_Peacekeeper, huh? I guess that means I'm the troublemaker,_ the Grass Snake smirked at the thought. It actually appealed to her right now. Some adventure, some distraction from her condition and Dwebble's situation. Just some mischief that Emolga was, amazingly, avoiding.

She followed the Sky Squirrel as she walked off, _what am I thinking?_ She laughed silently at some of the different schemes running through her head, _I'm supposed to be the responsible one, not another Emolga._ She shook the thoughts from her mind, _Besides, a walk with her's bound to be trouble, whether I cause it or not._

The travelled in silence for several moments before the hall opened up into a rather large room, and the scent of food hit their noses. There were many people and Pokemon in the room, though Snivy couldn't see any of their friends. A loud thud caught her attention as she whipped around to face the sound's origin. A large blue Pokemon had taken a small step, and individuals around it fled to give the Ground-Ghost Type some room to roam. It gingerly gave its large bowl to two other Pokemon - a Froslass and an Audino- who brought the huge dish to another room. It then began to walk towards an exit near Snivy and Emolga.

"(Let's move!)" Emolga turned to leave. The Grass Snake toon one last glance at the Pokemon. It looked just like any other Golurk, except for where yellow normally gleamed off of it, an ominous bright violet glowed.

_Not this idiot again,_ Snivy thought in irritation. She began to dash after her rival, but a spasm erupted from her injury, causing her to stiffen. She hissed and tried to find her legs again.

"(What are you-?)" The Sky Squirrel cut herself off, obviously spotting her. "(Really? This has to happen _now_?)" She returned to the Grass Type. She grabbed onto her arm, "(Do we need to head back?)"

Snivy inhaled deeply. When she had regained her limbs, she pushed the Sky Squirrel's paws away and took a step forward with more caution, "(No, I just-)"

"(*Hello, Smugleaf. I didn't expect to see you again,*)" the addressed Pokemon sighed at the automatic, yet naughty voice. "(*I thought you were a goner. Oh well,*)" a large rocky hand pushed Emolga away and turned the Grass Snake around to face the gigantic Pokemon, "(*I suppose little pests like you justs die hard.*)"

"(Look, Goljerk, I'm not in the mood,)" Snivy hissed, glaring at the dual type easily four times her size. Trouble may have sounded nice before, but not if it meant that Pokemon.

"(*Aww, little Smugleaf's not in the mood. Isn't that just disappointing, Frillish?*)" The Grass Snake jumped at a ghostly touch on her shoulder. The pink tentacle wrapped around her stomach, trapping her left arm in the process. She glared at what she could see of the Water-Ghost Type's head.

"(I dunno, Golurk. It's always so much more fun when they're grouchy,)" Frillish giggled, hugging her tighter. Snivy winced as her scar protested from the pressure. The dual type giggled again before loosening her grip and twirling to face her. She wore a large mischievous grin. "(Hi, Smugleaf!)" She sang. "(Did ya miss me?)"

The Grass Snake flexed her previously trapped arm, ignoring Frillish. The pink Pokemon huffed before she flicked the Grass Type with a tentacle. _It's always better just to ignore her,_ Snivy thought, still refusing to respond.

"(The silent treatment, eh?)" Frillish's tone was annoyed. "(That's not very nice - all I did was ask a question!)"

Snivy staggered forward at a weak - yet sudden and forceful - shove from a rocky hand. She managed to regain her footing, despite her injury, when she heard Emolga's voice. "(Hey! Knock it off!)" She yelled. The Grass Type turned to find her rival glaring at Golurk.

"(M-Miss Emolga!)" Alarm filled Frillish's voice as if she hadn't noticed her before. She began to cover herself, "(I'm sorry! I-)"

"(*This isn't Elesa's. Use your mind, Frillish,*)" the Floating Pokemon closed her eyes in concentration as Golurk spoke. "(*It's just a pipsqueak trying to act tough. What do you want?)" The Automaton Pokemon directed its last words to Emolga.

"(I want you to stop bothering her!)" A few heads turned their way.

"(*Why should we?)"

"(Because, if you don't, I'll take care of you personally!)" The Electric-Flying Type's cheeks sparked angrily.

Golurk let out an odd sound that could've been a laugh, "(*So Smugleaf needs a chaperone to keep her safe - and it's another Emolga! How cute!*)"

Snivy was about to retort when her rival interrupted, "(Don't push my buttons! Go away and no one gets hurt!)"

Her threat didn't faze it. In fact, it made it "laugh", "(*And how do you plan on doing that, you pitiful Electric Type?*)"

Emolga's cheeks sparked angrily again, but before she could do anything, another voice interrupted, "(Golurk, stop this at once!)" Snivy turned to see another Pokemon she knew - the Froslass from before. She glided upward, eye level with the nine-foot Pokemon, "(I swear, I cannot leave you two alone for one second.)"

Golurk "laughed" again, "(*Guess who came back?)"

"(Snivy, yes, I sense her. Now move along - I don't want you causing anymore trouble.)"

"(Yes, ma'am!)" Golurk said in mock obedience. It gave Snivy one last shove before leaving, still making the odd noises.

"(You, too, Frillish.)" The named Pokemon muttered a few things as she followed her friend. Froslass sighed. She lowered herself beside the two smaller Pokemon, "(I apologize. They can be a bit… rude.)"

"(Yeah, what's with that?)" Emolga grunted. "(Aren't Golurk supposed to be 'ancient protectors' or something? And why's it in the Pokemon Center? It didn't look hurt to me. Neither one of them did.)"

"(Well, Golurk used to be like the rest of her kind, but she had a few… difficulties. Long story short, she's part Golurk, part Gengar, and she went from honorable warrior to irritating prankster… to put it lightly,)" the Snow Country said, voice hinted with exasperation. "(The reason they're here is because Golurk's mixed condition is unstable. She has to stay here for checkups and such. Frillish and I stay with her to help… though Frillish prefers fun over work,)" she sighed again. The Ice-Ghost Type continued, "(That aside, it's nice to meet you, Emolga. I'm Froslass.)" The Sky Squirrel blinked, obviously not remembering mentioning her name. "(Snivy, it's good to see you're alive and well. I was worried about you.)"

The Grass Snake eyed Froslass, "(... What kind of prank is this?)" When she had last seen her, the Ice-Ghost Type would have joined in on the "pranks". While she was intellegent, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. She was prideful and had a rude attitude. She wouldn't have cared less what had become of Snivy.

"(No, Snivy, this isn't a prank, though I know what you mean,)" the dual type's eyes narrowed apologetically. "(I'm sorry for my attitude towards you. I began to realize what a bother I'd been to everyone about a year after you left. I'm glad I have the chance to apologize.)"

"(That was just plain cheesy,)" the Grass Snake flicked her tail, "(but apology accepted.)" _If she's playing, I'll know soon enough._

"(Thank you,)" Froslass blinked gratefully.

It got awkwardly silent.

"(... Snivy,)" the Ice-Ghost Type started hesitantly, "(Don't take this the wrong way It might sound odd, but I have to ask,)" she watched Snivy carefully as she spoke, "(has something happened to your mind?)" Snivy blinked. "(I'm sorry; I could've approached that better. You're aware of my ability to sense the ones around me, correct?)" The Grass Snake nodded. "(Well, you see, I met this Shelmet a while back., and we became rather close friends. Recently, however, he evolved into Accelgor, and his mind changed. It felt different from any other I had encountered. It was… well, I can't describe it. When I asked him about it, he said that, though he wasn't sure, it might've been because of his… odd evolution.)"

"(Odd evolution?)" Snivy echoed. Emolga flicked an ear.

"(You see, for a Shelmet to evolve, they must be traded with a Karrablast. He, however, just flat out evolved for no reason whatsoever. He wasn't eating, in battle, or being traded. He just evolved.)"

"(He… how?)"

"(He doesn't know. Either way,)" Froslass continued, getting back onto the original topic, "(after a little experimentation, we figured out he could use telepathy.)"

"(You're saying he could speak through thought?)"

"(Yes, and he could faintly feel other's minds as well. Not necessarily read them, but he could feel their presence and occasionally emotions. Somewhat like what many Psychic and Ghost Types like Golurk, Frillish, and myself have the ability to do, though not quite as clear. I believe that, with a little practice, that could be fixed, however.)"

"(What are you suggesting?)"

"(W-well… Your mind feels a lot like his,)" Froslass said. "(It's nothing more than a guess, but I think you have the same ability.)"

Snivy stared at her incredulously, "(I-)"

"(I know, I know,)" the dual type interrupted. "(It's a fairly farfetched theory with not much of a backbone. You obviously haven't evolved, but your mind has undoubtedly changed. Has anything odd happened recently?)"

"(Her scar reopened,)" Emolga piped up from her unusually quiet state, "(and it definitely wasn't by any normal means. She was battling, sure, but Tepig didn't even hit her when she started going this weird shade of green. That's when her scar appeared.)"

_I was glowing?_ Snivy blinked. _How haven't I heard of this?_

"(Glowing green?)" Froslass repeated. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "(Were you trying to evolve?)"

She shook her head, "(Not that I'm aware of.)"

"(Odd… though it's not impossible. I've heard that injuries as serious as your own prevent evolution. The body cannot support it,)" the Ice-Ghost Type said. "(You may have been evolving subconsciously, but your scar reopened and stopped it.)"

"(That's nice to know,)" Snivy said sarcastically. "(I'm never going to evolve. Wonderful.)"

"(Hey, you aren't the only one,)" Emolga grinned from beside her. Snivy sighed.

"(I apologize, though it may still be possible,)" the Snow Country Pokemon added. "(Either way, has your head been feeling 'funny' lately? That's how Accelgor described it, though I do wish he could've been more accurate.)"

Snivy checked her head again. That same feeling from before the walk with Oshawott hadn't gone away. It felt exactly the same; it wasn't even fading. "(By 'funny' would you mean… new, weird, and, yet, not annoying in the slightest? Or would that be the sedatives?)"

"(I'm pretty sure that's what he meant by 'funny'. Sedatives are… different,)" Froslass responded.

"(So, wait - you _actually_ think she can thought speak?)" Emolga stared at the Snow Country Pokemon in disbelief.

"(That's what we've been discussing,)" she nodded.

"(I don't believe it.)"

"(There's only one way to figure out,)" the Ice-Ghost Type said, turning her attention back to Snivy. "(A demonstration, please? All you have to do, according to Accelgor, is focus on one or more mind to direct the message to.)"

"(... You're serious,)" the Grass Snake said dryly, staring at Froslass. She appeared to grin encouragingly. Snivy glanced at the Electric-Flying Type.

"(Just do it,)" Emolga rolled her eyes. "(I promise I won't laugh… too much.)"

"(Gee, thanks for your support,)" the Grass Snake said dryly.

"(C'mon, I'm waiting,)" her rival lifted a paw to her ear, "(but I don't hear anything.)"

"(Actually, you won't hear it with your ears. It'll just sound in your head,)" Froslass corrected.

"(Yeah, sure. Just bring on the thoughts.)"

Looking at both of them, Snivy knew she wasn't going to escape attempting the stunt. _This is ridiculous. I've never been able to use telepathy, so why would that change?_ Nevertheless, at another push from Froslass, she began to focus on both of them. She could've sworn there was some sort of _click_ in her mind as she "spoke", "_Do you two hear me?_"

"(Loud and clear, Snivy,)" Froslass responded nonchalantly while Emolga's jaw dropped.

"(You… you actually heard that?)" The Grass Snake blinked. _What…?_

"(I don't believe my ears,)" the Sky Squirrel paused. "(Or… whatever was used to hear that.)"

"(What did I tell you?)" Froslass glanced at Emolga. "(A 'sound in your head'.)"

Emolga glared at her briefly. She turned to Snivy, though she was addressing the Ice-Ghost Type, "(Anything else we need to know?)"

"(She can also send visual thoughts, like memories and pictures, though memories are a bit more complex that just sound and sight. I wish I could explain any other details on her end, but Accelgor didn't share anything else with me.)"

"(Where is he?)" Snivy asked.

"(Gone. He was one of the missing Bug Types.)"

"(Oh.)"

Froslass paused, "(Perhaps I shouldn't bring this up, but I will. Each of the missing Pokemon were either Bug or Grass Type, correct?)" Both of the smaller Pokemon nodded. "(Well, Accelgor is a Bug Type. Snivy, you're a Grass Type. You both have the same uncanny ability with telepathy and something odd happened to each of you. I can't help but wonder…)" she gave her a meaningful glance, "(what if you two were the original targets?)"

_Original targets?!_ A shock ran through the Grass Snake. _Where did she even get that idea? How would she know someone didn't just want a bunch of those two Types? Why-?_ It took her a short time before she recovered herself. _This must be a prank. She would pull something like this. She hasn't changed at all. For all I know, she's making Emolga and I think I have telepathy. What a jerk._ "(I've had enough drama this week - don't make it worse,)" Snivy groaned at last.

"(This has to be considered, though. I don't see any other connection between the two Types. Why would someone want a bunch of Bug and Grass Types? It's obvious the Pokemon were under some sort of command to find something. Don't-)"

"(Fine then. Assume that was the case,)" the Grass Type sighed, "(then why would some idiot want a couple of Pokemon - who were otherwise completely normal - suddenly able to use telepathy? Even then, some Pokemon naturally have the ability.)"

"(I don't think it's just telepathy. That's only part of the picture, though I don't know what else there is. Accelgor and I didn't have the time to figure it out.)"

"(There's still several other explanations,)" Snivy reasoned. _Why is she still playing this game? Is she preparing for something? Some grand finale, or is she trying to get under our skins?_

"(Yes, I realize that,)" the dual type said, her blue eyes giving her a hard stare, "(but if my theory is true, you could be in serious danger. I thought you might want to be aware of that possibility.)"

Snivy glanced at Emolga. She appeared deeply engrossed in all of it, taking each word in and, from the looks of it, she was taking it seriously. _Very_ seriously. It was kind of scary.

"(Oh, dear!)" Froslass suddenly exclaimed before Snivy could say anything. She gave the two an apologetic look, "(I forgot I have to be with Golurk for her checkup. I'm afraid I have to go. It was nice to see you two!)" She began to glide away, "(Be careful.)"

They watched her go.

_Maybe this isn't a trick at all,_ the Grass Type thought. _If it's got Emolga acting like this, then this theory might actually be something to take to notice. Perhaps Froslass has changed. She may actually be taking this seriously. She may truly believe what she claims... She may really be trying to help._

"(Still hungry?)" Emolga asked with a nervous chuckle, breaking the Grass Type from her thoughts.

"(I don't think I was hungry to to begin with,)" the Grass Snake said, turning to face the Sky Squirrel. The atmosphere around the two grew awkward.

_Great. Another walk gone wrong._

* * *

**Tepig's POV**

Tepig bit into another bite of his Pokemon food, glancing at his rival warily. Oshawott had finished his food already, and when he did, he always seemed to enjoy stealing from the Fire Pig.

However, the Water Type just stared at his empty bowl. Tepig wasn't too sure if he was expecting it to magically refill or if there was something wrong with him, though the second seemed to be more likely. The Sea Otter had been acting oddly for a while now. He constantly zoned out, he hadn't caused any havoc - the one he annoyed most should know - and, quite possibly the oddest, despite the many female Pokemon they had seen in the Center, Oshawott hadn't flirted with a single one of them. He almost seemed to avoid them. Now he wasn't even making an attempt to get more food, and his distant eyes told Tepig he had entered his own little world again.

The Water Type wasn't like this when they first arrived. He wasn't exactly concerned for Snivy's condition like everyone else - he either really trusted the Center, he knew something they didn't, or he was more of an idiot than originally anticipated - and, while he was worried about Dwebble, he didn't let it get to him. However, at some point, something just changed. At first, Tepig thought that his rival was just absorbing the situation their friends were in, but when he had addressed it, the Sea Otter just said, "(Yeah, everyone's pretty worried about that, but I'm pretty sure it'll turn out just fine.)" There wasn't any doubt in his voice, and the Sea Otter was normally pretty honest. He didn't tend to hide anything - in fact, he rubbed a lot of things in Tepig's face - so, while something was definitely bothering him, it wasn't Snivy's injury or Dwebble's disappearance.

Tepig didn't know what it was, but he was going to figure out.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up, leaving his bowl half full, and walked over to the Water Type. He didn't notice him. Tepig nudged him, and he glanced upward. He blinked, "(What d'ya want, Tepig?)" The Fire Pig pointed his nose to his left, away from the group. Oshawott kept staring at him blankly.

He sighed, "(Come on, I want to talk to you.)"

"(Why? Can't we talk here?)"

"(Just… come on!)" Tepig hissed, giving him a hard shove. He didn't have the patience to deal with his rival being difficult.

"(Alright, alright!)" Oshawott yelped, jumping to his feet. "(I don't get what's so important, but-)"

"You two better not be fighting!" They turned to see Iris and Ash towering about them. The two rivals wilted under their harsh glares. A few heads of their friends turned.

"(W-we're not!)" Both Pokemon whimpered.

The two trainers observed them before Ash spoke up again, "Now get along." He returned to his food. Iris paused, then she followed him, muttering something under her breath.

"(... Thanks,)" Oshawott muttered, glaring at him.

"(Sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen,)" the Fire Pig apologized quietly. He then nodded in the same direction as before.

"(Sure,)" the Sea Otter drawled. He began to walk to where he was pointing.

The Fire Type sighed and followed him.

When they were a good distance from the others, Oshawott whipped around, "(Alright, what do you want?)"

"(I just wanted to talk.)"

"('Bout what?)" His rival tapped his foot impatiently.

"(About your behavior lately,)" Tepig said. The Sea Otter growled defensively.

"(I haven't been bothering you, so why are you-)"

"(That's it!)" Tepig snapped. The Water Type eyed him, confused and annoyed. Taking a deep breath, he tried again, "(I'm not trying to insult you or start a fight, but you _haven't_ been bothering me lately. You haven't been acting like yourself. What's up?)"

Oshawott blinked, "(What are you talking about?)" Tepig just stared at him. "(No, seriously! I don't- oh,)" he seemed to remember something.

"(Well?)" The Fire Pig pressed.

"(It's nothing, honestly,)" the Water Type glanced at the ground uncomfortably. "(I've just been thinking about some stupid thing I said a few days ago.)"

"(It's not nothing if it's affecting you like this,)" Tepig said, flicking an ear. _Oshawott thinks he said something stupid? He'd never believe, much less admit something like that._

"(... I suppose that's true.)"

"(So, what happened?)"

Oshawott stared at him incredulously, "(You want me to just _tell_ you?)"

The Fire Pig shrugged, "(Better to tell someone than to keep it bottled up.)" His rival did something he didn't expect.

He burst out laughing.

"(Did I say something funny?)" Tepig asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"(... No, no… Just ironic,)" the Sea Otter fought back his laughter, though a few chuckles occasionally escaped him.

"(Ironic how?)"

Oshawott took a deep breath, still trying to abolish his fit of laughter. He was still beaming and humor danced in his eyes as he spoke, "(I was just… well…)" He paused, growing slightly more serious, "(I was visiting Snivy when I said that last.)"

"(You were telling her not to keep things bottled up?)" Tepig frowned. He didn't remember the Grass Snake having any emotional problems.

"(Kind of. It was a bit different than that, though,)" the Water Type shuffled nervously, "(and I really shouldn't be talking about it. I don't think she'd appreciate it.)"

"(Is that what's bothering you?)" The Fire Pig questioned. _What's going on? What can't he talk about?_

"(No… not that part anyway,)" a harsh blush appeared on Oshawott's face. "(I just said something dumb.)"

"(I'm confused. Is she mad at you or something?)"

"(No. At least, I hope not,)" Oshawott sighed as he slumped onto the ground. "(She said she wasn't. Or that she didn't hate me, rather.)"

"(Hate you?)" the Fire Type sat beside his rival. His brows creased, bewildered, "(Why would she hate you?)"

"(I-I actually asked her. I was a little worried. We didn't talk after I… uh…)" he bit his lips nervously. "(Well, she didn't sound mad.)"

"(Snivy isn't exactly the type to keep her opinions hidden. If she were upset, I'm sure she'd make sure you knew.)"

"(Yeah, but… I think she was trying to avoid hurting my feelings.)"

"(What exactly happened? I might be able to follow you better if you tell me.)"

The blush on the Sea Otter's face intensified, "(I dunno… It's a little embarrassing.)"

"(I won't tell anyone that makes you feel any better.)"

"(No laughing?)"

"(I'll try my best, though no guarantees.)"

Oshawott fiddled with his scalchop for a few moments before he spoke up again. "(I… erm… complimented her.)"

"(And that's bad?)" _Oshawott, I swear you make no sense sometimes._

"(I said 'you're pretty'.)"

Tepig blinked. "(Oh.)"

"(Yeah. And that's _before_ I started rambling, trying to cover myself, but I only made things worse,)" the Sea Otter sighed and stared at his scalchop. "(The weird thing is, normally, complimenting a girl isn't a problem, but I just… I dunno. I freaked out.)"

"(And this is what's upsetting you?)" Tepig watched as his rival began to polish his precious item with his paws.

"(Not exactly,)" Oshawott sighed. "(I wanted to try and help her at first, but it turned out all wrong - I think I made it worse. I believe that's what's _really_ bothering me.)"

Tepig was about to speak when Ash's voice interrupted him, "Tepig! Oshawott! Where are you two? You'd better not be fighting!"

"(We'd better go,)" the Sea Otter stood up. "(We can talk later.)"

The Fire Type got onto his feet as well, "(Yeah, I s'pose so. 'Don't exactly want Ash to bite our heads off again.)"

"(Yeah,)" his rival gave him an amused look, "(you still owe me for that.)"

"(Alright. How does a bowl half full of food sound?)"

Oshawott blinked, "(Seriously?)"

"(Sure. If you want it-)"

"(Food, here I come!)" The Sea Otter exclaimed as he darted away.

Tepig chuckled and followed after him. _I'm glad you still have your appetite, Oshawott._

"Oshawott! Where are you going?" The Sea Otter ran straight past his trainer. Ash blinked and turned to Tepig, "Well, I guess he'll hear about it from the others."

The Fire Pig tilted his head to the side, "(Hear about what?)"

Ash grinned and knelt down beside his Pokemon, "They figured out where Dwebble is."

After Tepig swallowed his trainer's words, he bounded closer to him. He looked into his trainer's eyes - they revealed the joy Tepig himself was feeling - and beamed, "(Where?)"

"Officer Jenny's talking to Iris and Cilan right now. I think she said something about Driftveil City," Ash patted his Pokemon's head, brows furrowing as he suddenly became grim. "That would make sense. There was some sort of organization there when we tried to go there last. They're probably behind it." A few seconds passed before he spoke again, "Tepig, can you go get Snivy and Emolga? Audino gave Snivy permission to roam around the Center and grabbed Emolga to keep an eye on her, so they should be in the same place."

"(Snivy and Emolga got stuck together?)" Tepig blinked. _That can't be good._

"I know. I'm kind of worried about how much trouble they've gotten into," Ash winced. "They never seemed to like each other very much."

"(I'll get them,)" the Fire Pig took a few steps back from his trainer, glancing at a few possible hallways they could've gone through. _This is going to take a while,_ he thought, the large building suddenly seeming bigger.

"Thanks, Tepig. We should be right outside those doors," his trainer pointed to a small exit.

He snorted in acknowledgement before he selected a random hall and darted away.

* * *

After searching unsuccessfully for about ten minutes, he was finally able to find a Pokemon who had seen them.

"(Yeah,)" the Timburr said. It gestured with its wooden log, "(I saw a those two in the cafeteria a little while ago. Caused a bit of a scene.)"

"(Figures. Sorry, they don't always get along very well,)" Tepig dipped his head apologetically.

"(What are you talking about?)" The Fighting Type blinked. "(They weren't fighting with each other. Golurk spotted them.)"

"(Golurk?)" _Well, it's nice to know they weren't arguing._

"(She's kinda the… big bully of the Center, along with Frillish,)" Timburr glanced back and forth as if it were being watched. "(Stuff like that happens everyday. Nurse Joy and the Audino try to keep it under control, but I guess it's kind of hopeless since she's part Gengar.)"

"(What…?)"

"(Just go check on your friends. Golurk seemed to enjoy teasing them a little too much. I'm worried she might try it again.)"

"(Right, sorry,)" Tepig turned to leave. "(Thank you!)" He called over his shoulder.

He quickly made it to the cafeteria he had been at earlier. _This would've been so much easier if I had just followed Oshawott_, he sighed and observed the loud, crowded room. Impatience to return to the others and figure out more surged through him, but he kept searching. He padded around for a time before spotting a Froslass gliding away from the two Pokemon he was searching for. He darted towards them, "(Hey you two!)" They turned to look at him. "(It's nice to see you haven't torn down the place yet,)" he joked.

"(Yet,)" Emolga repeated grimly.

The Fire Pig laughed.

"(You seem awfully happy,)" she grunted, flicking her tail.

"(I am,)" he beamed. "(We think we've located Dwebble and the other missing Pokemon!)"

"(Really?)" Emolga blinked; she seemed to lighten up a bit. The Grass Snake beside her perked up slightly.

"(Yeah, Officer Jenny's talking to our trainers right now. Ash sent me to get you.)"

"(Alright, lead the way,)" the Sky Squirrel said. He whipped around and began to dart away, though he stopped a second later when he heard Emolga say, "(We are _not_ doing this again.)" He turned to see the dual type grabbing her rival's arm and give her a brief hard look before turning to Tepig, "(We can't go quite as fast as you.)"

He smiled sheepishly, walking back to the two female Pokemon, "(Sorry, I got a little too excited.)"

"(And you have every right to be,)" the Sky Squirrel nudged Snivy, "(but our little cripple already tried that. Didn't go too smoothly.)" The Grass Snake glared at her; Emolga ignored it.

"(What were you two doing?)" He asked, the Golurk Timburr had mentioned flashing through his mind. He then began to lead them slowly towards the exit.

"(Trying to avoid being flattened by a Golurk,)" Emolga muttered, "(that jerk.)" She glanced at Snivy, "(You make way too many enemies. Me, that Gothita, the Golurk and Frillish… Froslass said she used to mess with you, too, and I know you've probably argued with a bunch of others.)" The Grass Snake shrugged. "(... And now that I think about it, we're all girls. Sure, Golurk shouldn't count, but Froslass kept saying 'she' - I guess that Gengar caused it,)" the dual type sighed, continuing. "(Is there a girl you _haven't_ argued with?)"

"(Tranquill,)" the Grass Type responded.

"(That's it?)"

"(From the ones I grew to know, basically.)"

Emolga stared at her. "(I don't believe you,)" she said, shaking her head.

Tepig chuckled, "('Glad I'm not a girl. I don't want to fight you all the time.)"

"(Just because I argued with a bunch of them doesn't mean we didn't get along. Elesa's Emolga and I get along just fine even though we tend to argue.)" The Emolga with them flicked an ear.

"(I find it weird you got along with an Emolga at all.)"

"(You aren't the only one in the world,)" the Grass Type retorted.

Tepig, not too sure whether the girls' conversation was going to result in a fight or not, continued, "(Yeah, but I'm probably better off not arguing. I've already got Oshawott to deal with.)"

Snivy fidgeted slightly, "(True.)"

Tepig blinked, _why did she fidget? I didn't say any- oh… Oshawott. I guess she may still be kind of upset about that._ The group dodged a few legs of people. _She is the tomboy of the group. … We really need to figure this out. We have enough problems already._

They eventually made it to the automatic door. It slid open and they slipped out. Their friends were all there with Officer Jenny, and an Audino took notes beside them.

"No. Cilan is allowed to come because he is a Gym Leader, but I can't allow two children to walk into danger," the Fire Pig heard Jenny say as they drew nearer.

"Please, Officer Jenny! We want to help!" Iris pleaded.

"No."

"It's alright, you two," Cilan rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "Dwebble's my responsibility, and, besides, Snivy needs you two here."

Tepig quickly glanced at the Grass Snake. She didn't react to Cilan's mentioning of her, though he guessed that she wasn't too pleased with the connoisseur's words. She likely wanted to go and assist them. Instead, Cilan was using her as an excuse for the other two trainers not to go. _At least, that's probably how she thinks of it_, Tepig thought.

"But Cilan-" the young girl began to protest.

"What?!" The cop's sharp voice made everyone jump. Jenny was glaring at the ground. She held a black device to her ear, "How?! … Are you sure? … What-? … Alright, I'll be there soon." She removed the machine from her ear.

"What's going on?" Cilan asked.

"We're having some difficulties. I need to go-"

"Wait!" Iris shouted as the policewoman began to leave. "Please! Let us help!"

"No," Officer Jenny said firmly. "Have a good day," she darted away quickly.

"But…" the girl left off, noticeably disappointed.

"Don't worry, Iris," Cilan gave her a small smile. "Like I said before; Snivy will need you here." Tepig winced at the second use of the Grass Snake's name. Glancing at her, he saw she was beginning to show her agitation.

"I still feel like we should be helping you," she sighed. "I mean, yeah, Snivy's important, but the Pokemon Center's taking care of it. None of us know if Dwebble's even safe or not."

"Yeah, but Iris," Ash spoke up, "A lot of people are helping with this - Cilan included. If they need help, I'm sure he can tell us."

Iris stared at the other trainer in surprise, "Y-you're agreeing with this? I thought you would've-"

"I know, but, like Cilan said, Snivy needs us here. It wouldn't be right to leave it all alone."

The Fire Pig glanced at Snivy again. She was clearly very frustrated now - she was glaring daggers in front of her. "(Heh, I'm surprised you haven't yelled at them yet,)" Tepig decided to distract the Grass Snake while the others talked.

"(Yeah, well, I'm fixing to do something much worse than that,)" she sighed. The Grass Type calmed herself and turned to face him.

"(Scary,)" he grinned.

Snivy just rolled her eyes.

Tepig rummaged through his mind for something to say. "(... Have you eaten yet?)" He asked lamely.

"(I ate this morning.)"

"(Are you hungry now?)"

"(I'd rather figure out where Dwebble is.)"

"(Ash told me-)"

"You found them, Tepig!" His trainer interrupted. He and the other two humans kneeled beside them, "That's great! Do you know what's going on?"

Tepig nodded, addressing Snivy and Emolga when he said, "(Supposedly, the missing Pokemon are at Driftveil City.)"

"Good. Only Cilan and his Pokemon are allowed to go, so we'll just-"

"(Ash! Just go!)" Snivy snapped.

The trainer turned to her, "We'll be staying with you. Cilan will do fine; he'll have lots of help from Officer Jenny, Driftveil City's Gym Leader, and the-"

"(Ash!)"

"Snivy, I'm not going to leave you alone if that's what you're asking," Ash said firmly.

They stared each other down.

"Umm, hello?" The door slid open behind them. Tepig turned to find a skinny blond-haired woman join them. She spotted Snivy and Ash, who were still glaring at one another. "Is this a bad time?"

"Kind of," Cilan sighed. "Sorry, Elesa."

_Elesa!_ Tepig thought in alarm. _That's the Gym Leader here! The one Snivy knew. The one Ash just battled against. What's she doing here? According to what I've heard, she's always so busy with modelling and being a Gym Leader - and the recent dilemma would be making her busier than ever!_

"If I can ask, what's going on? I had some free time, so I came to visit each of you," Elesa frowned. "Though it appears you are having some difficulties."

"It's the missing Pokemon. Since they were located, I was allowed to go and assist everyone in Driftveil City, but Iris and Ash are too young to get involved, according to Officer Jenny. Ash is fine with that. He's fine with staying with Snivy… though it seems to want him to go anyway."

"I see," Elesa bent down and tapped the ten year old on his shoulder. He reluctantly removed his gaze from the Grass Snake to look at her. "Ash, Snivy," she said, also getting the Grass Type's attention, "you two battled so well. Regardless of the outcome, you two shone so brightly throughout the whole thing. I could see your strong relationship and trust with one another. Now put that to use and resolve this together. Ash, as a trainer, you must understand your Pokemon's view in this situation. You have to understand what Snivy is feeling and figure out what will benefit it best. I want you to get past that dull wall between you two and live through Snivy's eyes. Do you understand?" The young boy blinked before nodding. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly agape in a numbing wonder at her words. "Snivy," Elesa continued, "I wasn't able to connect with you before, but I'm sure you can help your trainer discern you. Not only that, I want you to understand him. It may make you feel as if your glow just isn't quite bright enough, but if you can get past those negative thoughts, you can finally correctly understand Ash's worries." Snivy stared at the fashion model. "Do you understand?" The Grass Snake nodded. "Good. I'm glad," Elesa smiled and stood back up.

"Elesa," Ash started, also getting to his feet, "I know you have a point, but that doesn't change the fact that Officer Jenny doesn't want us to go."

"Since when has that stopped you before?"

"What do you mean?" The trainer's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Call it intuition, but I believe you've gone against more than one Jenny's orders in situations like this," the Gym Leader rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's a part of the dazzling light you have. Right now, though, you're too focused on Snivy's condition. It's like this," the hand on Ash's shoulder flew up and gripped the front of his cap, bringing it high into the air, out of the boy's reach.

"Hey!" Ash yelped.

"Aren't you going to fight me for it?" Elesa asked. She waved the accessory in order to taunt him.

"Fight you for it?!" He stared at her in shock.

"What's the matter? I'm sure you've fought others for your dear cap, so why not me? Am I too _special_?" She frowned.

"What-? It's just… It's… You're…" Ash fought to find the correct words, though he only succeeded in stuttering.

"'I'm a well-known Gym Leader and fashion model. You shouldn't be playing childish games with me like you would with your friends'."

"Kind of, but-"

"_'I'm too weak and injured. You should be taking all measures to babysit me instead of everything else you would normally be doing to help the Pokemon'_."

"What're you-" Ash cut himself off. "Oh."

"Precisely."

The raven-haired boy bent down beside Snivy, getting eye level with her, "You think you're holding me back?" The Grass Snake stared at him measuredly. Ash's brows furrowed. "... I guess I can see how you'd think that. In most situations, you're right, I'd be headed for Driftveil City - running if I had to - despite what anyone said. But, Snivy…" he took a deep breath, "I'm worried. What if those Pokemon come back? How am I supposed to help if I'm not here?"

The Grass Snake opened her mouth to retort, but, at a sharp glance from Elesa, clamped it shut and thought for a few moments, a careful concentration written on her face. She sighed, "(I get it.)"

Ash, though he didn't know what she had said, had heard the reluctant acceptance in her voice. He smiled softly, "I guess we both understand each other now. What do you think we should do?" He bit his lip, "We both have some pretty good points…"

"You two aren't considering all of the possibilities," Elesa said. The raven-haired boy turned to look at her, confusion swimming in his eyes. "There's one more option I think would make each of your dazzling arguments blend together harmoniously. Just think. Ash, you want to keep an eye on your Pokemon. Snivy wants you to help the missing Pokemon…" she left off.

"(You want…)" the Grass Snake's eyes widened in surprise. It took Ash a little longer to figure out what the Gym Leader was hinting at. When he did, his eyes almost popped out of his head. He stared at Elesa, shock evident on his face.

"You want me to take Snivy into Driftveil City?" He yelped, jumping to his feet. "B-but that's where those Pokemon are, right? Why would I take it away from the Pokemon Center, away from where it's recovering, and bring it _into_ the danger?" Elesa smiled. "How is that supposed to help it?"

"Now you aren't giving Snivy enough credit," the fashion model lightly scolded. "It can fend for itself up to a certain point. Don't forget, it lived on its own for a time with its injury. When it joined you, it's obvious the fact that it was cripple at all evaded you completely - until it got injured again. It can still put up a fight - I said so during our battle - and even though the wound's reopened, Snivy still has experience with it," she placed the cap back on the boy's head. "All the while, I'm sure you'll be looking after it."

"But what it gets hurt again?" Ash's voice dripped in worry.

"I know Cilan has some medical experience, and the Nurse Joy from that area will be there. I'll make sure to get you get the right supplies."

In one last attempt to defeat her, Ash pathetically said, "How are we supposed to get there? Snivy shouldn't be travelling too much."

Elesa had an answer to that as well, "I'm having a shipment from Mistralton City being sent here by plane. Since this is their last stop, I can convince them to give you a ride to Driftveil City upon their way back." She paused and gave Snivy an apologetic look, "Sorry. I'm not too sure how fond you are of planes right now. Especially cargo planes." The Grass Snake grunted and looked away, eyes searching some distant thought.

"Why would Snivy have a problem with planes?" Iris spoke up. The Electric Type specialist didn't remove her gaze.

"Are you okay with me telling them?"

"(I'm not _that_ sensitive. It's not like the plane gave me any trouble,)" the Grass Type nodded.

"When Emolga and I first found it," the Gym Leader's eyes slowly turned to the trainers, "Snivy was in a cargo plane, and its glow wasn't very strong as you all know. This leads me to believe that it either got its injury during the ride or from Mistralton City. The pilots didn't hear anything, though, so I think Mistralton City's a good guess, regardless of the distance. Snivy probably snuck on for some reason, or perhaps boarded on pilots didn't realize it was even there for quite some time."

"(Geeze, Snivy. A plane?)" Emolga shook her head. "(You're just full of surprises today.)" The Grass Type shrugged.

Elesa caught sight of the Sky Squirrel and smiled, "Another Emolga friend? They seem to like you."

"(More like hate me,)" Snivy muttered.

"('Hate' is a little harsh… though pretty accurate,)" the dual type smirked, "(in my case, anyway.)"

"Either way, we're getting off topic," the fashion model said. "What do you two think? Is it something you two could agree on?"

"(Hold on!)" The Audino with them finally spoke. "(I have to disagree with this! It's completely-)"

"Relax, Audino," she murmured. "I understand your worry, but I think this is something these two need to decide on as Pokemon and trainer." The Hearing Pokemon flicked an ear, uncertainty flickering in its eyes, but it didn't speak again.

Ash glanced at the Grass Snake again. Something flashed between the two. "Alright," the boy said, "we'll do it."

Elsa smiled, pleased, "I'm glad to hear that. Meet me at the Gym tomorrow morning. I'll go talk to Nurse Joy about this. See you!" They watched as she slid through the doors once again.

"I guess this means we should start packing," Iris said after a second. "I'll get started," she followed the Gym Leader's trail through the doors. Her Pokemon paused before darting after her.

Cilan started to join her, but he stopped and turned to Ash, who was watching the Grass Snake. "I'll be there in a sec," the boy said, his eyes not trailing from his Pokemon. The connoisseur nodded before taking off again. His Pokemon ran after him, leaving only Ash and his team behind.

The ten-year-old paused before facing the rest of his team, his eyes uncertain as he searched the six Pokemon several times over. "I guess that's that," he finally said. He took a deep breath before continuing, "To be honest, I'm not too sure what to think. Everything's happening all at once. I hoped that I might've been able to keep Swadloon, Snivy, and Pansage here - since they're all Grass Types, they may've been targeted - then send a few of you with Cilan… But it doesn't look like that's happening." His eyes landed on his two Grass Types, who happened to be side by side. "You two will have to be careful. I don't know if they're still after Bug and Grass Types or why, but… Snivy, are you okay?" The Grass Snake had flinched while their trainer was talking. She glanced briefly at Swadloon before she turned to Ash and nodded. "Are you sure? I could-" he stopped himself when Snivy's eyes narrowed warningly. "Oh, right. No 'babysitting'. Sorry," he gave a short nervous chuckle while the Grass Type rolled her eyes, though a smile had made it's way onto her face. He paused before a small grin had made its way onto him as well, "I guess we'll just have to see how it turns out, huh? No point in worrying about the future." Though his voice was firm, uncertainty leaked into it.

_Ash is trying to deny his feelings again. He's trying to be strong,_ Tepig thought, _but he doesn't realize that he already is. He's trying to work all of this out on his own; he's put a lot of thought into this. I'm glad he's telling us what's going through his mind - that's good. He just needs to realize that we're all here to help. That he isn't alone._"(We'll just have to deal with it when the time comes,)" the Fire Pig spoke up. His trainer turned to look at him as he placed his front hooves atop the boy's legs in order to bring himself closer to him. He grinned broadly, "(We can do it.)"

"(Tepig's right,)" Swadloon agreed, joining him. "(It may be a little risky, but we Grass Types can fend for ourselves. I know we can count on you, too.)"

"(You're our trainer, Ash,)" Pikachu laughed, bounding onto the boy's shoulder. "(You shouldn't be so concerned; you're great at what you do. I've been with you long enough to know how this'll go. I know we can all pull this off.)"

"(I may not have known you as long as Pikachu,)" Oshawott started, "(but I have no doubt that he's right. You've helped us all so much; I don't think that there's anything we can't do.)"

"(Uh…)" a young fifth voice paused. Tepig turned his gaze to glance at the dual type behind them. Scraggy blinked, staring at each of them blankly while he considered his words. He grinned widely, finding his response, "(What they said!)" He headbutted the air in front of them, "(We'll kick those bad guys' butts!)"

The Pokemon chuckled at the young one's claim. "(He took the words right out of my mouth,)" Snivy said, amusement dancing in her eyes. She looked at Ash again, "(Taking care of a few Pokemon shouldn't be much of a problem. With the right strategy - Ash strategy - they won't stand a chance. We'll get the others back.)"

"Everyone…" Ash murmured. Tepig turned his gaze to look at his trainer again. The boy smiled. Understanding crossed his features, despite his lack of knowing his Pokemon's exact words. He brought each of them into a great hug, "Thank you." Tepig was breathing in his trainer's scent for several moments while the boy embraced them. As Ash drew back, the Fire Pig spotted a huge grin on his face, and his eyes glittered determinedly. "That's right. We can do this," he said, "together."

And this time, it wasn't uncertain.

* * *

******Sorry, the ending's a little... off. I just don't have the time to edit it right now, and I'm WAY late. I hope you all don't mind. I might try to fix it later. And Tepig's reaction to Oshawott's... mistake... wasn't exactly what I was aiming for, but it'll have to do.**

******Well, what d'ya think? A little extreme? Unrealistic? A _plane_? Yeah, those crossed my mind, but I figured, "Why not?" Snivy glowed in the beginning for a reason and the plane.. err... sorry. I couldn't find much a way around it. **

******The rivals are actually getting along! ... That's also a little odd... and scary...**

******I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by next week, but no guarantees. This is where things start slowing down since not everything's completely written... and I'm having some trouble accessing stuff in fanfiction. I'll work as fast as I can, though!**


End file.
